February, 2020 News (48 Articles with 69,456 total views)

On the cover of the print edition for February, 2020 Zone bartenders Glenn, Rebecca Mae, and Tony help ring in 2020. Photo by Michael Mahler

This began publication in December 2002 after a hiatus

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Calendar & Upcoming Events

Calendar of Local GLBT Events

Up to date listing of events and meetings.

Local and Regional News

January 28th at 6pm at MHA Chautauqua County is the next Jamestown Pride Planning Meeting

Time for our next planning meeting for Jamestown Pride June 13th, 2020! We will be meeting at the Mental Health Association of Chautauqua County, 31 Water St, Suite 7, Jamestown NY, 14701 on Tuesday, January 28 at 6pm.
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Highmark Inc. named a "Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality" by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for Three Consecutive Years

Pittsburgh, PA (January 21, 2020)-In recognition of Highmark Inc.'s supportive and inclusive culture for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning employees, the company has again earned distinction as a "Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality" from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. For three consecutive years, Highmark has been recognized as a workplace where all employees are welcome as unique individuals, receiving a perfect score of 100 points in the national Corporate Equality Index.
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TransFamily Meadville No Longer Meeting; Erie meetings continue

Please note that due to a lack of attendance, TransFamily of NW PA's Meadville chapter will no longer be meeting. Erie meetings will continue as usual the fourth Saturday of each month from 2 to 5 PM at Crime Victim Center of Erie, 125 W 18th St, Erie PA. The student group at Allegheny College is the only known LGBT group in Crawford County.
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NW PA Pride Board Update

NW PA Pride Alliance welcomes new board members Juilie Lebow, Moe Ferrara, and Rex Apps, as well as returning board members Alex Sphon (President), Season Crannell (Vice President), Michael Mahler (Treasurer), Diana Ames, Andrew Caswell, Anthony Gressley, Casey Main, Michael Mooney, and Steve Wadsworth. Rex Apps was elected as secretary. Thanks to all board members for their service and here's to a great and exciting 2020!
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Registration Open for E3 Summit May 8/9

The 2nd annual E3 Summit, the first LGBTQ youth event of its kind in Northwestern PA will be held on May 8 and 9, 2020 at East Middle School in Erie, PA. Call for presentations will be up soon.
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NW PA Pride 2020 Pride Logo Design Contest

NW PA Pride Alliance will be accepting design entries through March 1 for the 2020 Pride logo. This year, artists are free to come up with their own theme celebrating local LGBTQIA Pride! There is no limit to the number of entries per person that can be submitted, nor is there an age limit. Elements that should be/are intended to be white should not be transparent in your design. The design we select will receive a free shirt and a $100 Visa gift card.
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Drenched Fur 16 is a Wonderland Adventure

It's the sixteenth installment of Drenched Fur here in Erie, PA for enjoyable series of events with their theme, Bears in Wonderland, during the weekend of April 2nd thru 5th, 2020.
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Erie Sisters and Brothers Cabin Fever Weekend Feb 21-23

The Erie Sisters and Brothers will host their annual Cabin Fever February 21st-23rd. This is a very laid back event with nothing specific on the itinerary. Most of the girls who attend stay at the Bel-Aire on W. 8th St. Our bi-annual voting of officers will take place over the weekend. Only paid members of the Erie Sisters and Brothers may run and/or vote for officers. If you want to become a paid member, please check out the Membership table of eriesisters.ning.com. The first planning meeting for the Lake Erie Gala 2020 will be held during the event. We are always looking for people to be on the planning committee. If you're interested in being on the planning committee or have any other questions, please reach out to VP Kara Ritchie at lakeeriegala@gmail.com
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Become a 2020 NW PA Pride Donor

This year the NW Pennsylvania Pride Alliance Inc is already hard at work to make 2020 special for the entire community. We look forward to having our Pride Fest on June 27, the Pride Picnic on August 8, and other events planned throughout the year.
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Aging With Pride Potluck Dinner and Game Night on Feb 9

Aging With Pride Potluck Dinner and Game Night on Feb 9
Aging With Pride will be having a pot luck dinner and game night on Sunday, February 9 at 5 PM at Lake Erie Counseling, 301 W 10th St, Erie PA. This is a great way for LGBTQIA+ seniors to socialize and connect. For more info, contact Dale Allgeier at (814) 455-4009 or daleallgeier@outlook.com.
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Upcoming Jamestown Pride Planning Meetings Announced

The Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County and the Jamestown Pride Steering Committee have set the schedule for planning meetings for the Jamestown Pride event scheduled for Saturday, June 13, 2020
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Academy Theatre presents Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte Feb 7-23

Academy Theatre presents Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte Feb 7-23
The Academy Theatre, 275 Chestnut St, Meadville PA, will present the hilarious parody, Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte February 7 -23. Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte is the story of an aging reclusive Southern belle with a horrifying hidden family secret. While descending into madness, she must fight to save her family’s historic plantation from divisive interlopers with their own agenda. Tickets are availailable online and throught the box office at (814) 337-8000.
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LGBTQ Japanese Drama WEST NORTH WEST Is Out on North American Video On Demand (VOD)

LGBTQ Japanese Drama WEST NORTH WEST Is Out on North American Video On Demand (VOD)
Intimate, emotionally-charged lesbian drama WEST NORTH WEST from Breaking Glass Pictures is now out on Video On Demand (VOD.),This is the directorial debut from Takuro Nakamura and set in contemporary Japan, WEST NORTH WEST tells the story of three young women heading toward uncertain futures. Each woman faces distinct obstacles, particularly loneliness, anxiety and the trials of being in a same-sex relationship in today's world. Eventually, they find themselves forced together to form a destructive relationship triangle. The film screened at multiple festivals including BFI Flare, Busan International Film Festival, and Munich International Film Festival.
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Behrend's 13th Annual Drag Show

Behrend's Gender and Sexuality Club presented their 13th Annual Drag Show on Thursday November 7, 2019 at Penn State Behrend in McGarvey Commons. Performers included Lola Lecroix, Anna Steezia, Danyel Vasquez, Alora Chateau, and Dixie Surewood. Photos are by Andrea Shaffer and Mike Mahler.
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Deadline for February 2020 print edition (issue # 291) of Erie Gay News is Monday, January 13

Deadline for February 2020 print edition (issue # 291) of Erie Gay News is Monday, January 13
For the next print edition of Erie Gay News (issue # 291, cover dated for February 2020), please send in calendar events, news items, and other info for late January 2020 and beyond by Monday, January 13. We expect that the next print edition will come out on Tuesday, January 21.
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Zone Dance Club Welcomes 2020 with New Year's Eve Bash

The Zone Dance Club, 133 W 18th St, Erie PA, welcomed 2020 at their New Year's Eve Bash on December 31, 2019. There was a buffet and a champagne toast at midnight.
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Entertainment and Travel

Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus Annual Gala Fundraiser "You Are... Sexy" on Feb 8

Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus presents their annual gala fundraiser, "You Are... Sexy" on Saturday, February 8 at Shea's Smith Theatre Bistro. Doors open at 6:30 PM, concert starts 8 PM. Tickets are $35 each or couples for $60.
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All An Act Presents: Agatha Christie's Murder on The Orient Express (Feb 7-Mar 1)

All An Act Theatre will be the first theater in Northwestern PA to produce this brand new adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express" by Ken Ludwig (Lend Me A Tenor)/ A Comedy of Tenors). The play runs February 7 to Mar 1 at All An Act Theatre, 652 W 17th St, Erie PA.
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Pride Journey: Palm Springs

Palm Springs is one of those destinations that you never get tired of. I'm not sure if it's the landscape, or the abundance of over-the-top gayness that makes the city truly magical. On my most recent visit to the desert gay mecca, I attended Palm Springs Pride, an event headlined this year by TLC and Kristine W. This year was the largest pride celebration in the city's history. I even had the opportunity to meet Palm Springs Mayor Robert Moon.
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Political, Activism and Legal

Lambda Legal Urges Tenth Circuit to Uphold Ruling in Favor of Intersex Vet Seeking Accurate Passport

(DENVER, January 22, 2020) - Lambda Legal today appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit to urge the court to uphold a district court ruling that the State Department cannot rely on its male-or-female-only gender policy to withhold a U.S. passport from Dana Zzyym, a U.S. Navy veteran who is intersex and nonbinary, and does not identify as male or female.
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HRC Scores Pennsylvania Companies' LGBTQ-Inclusive Workplace Policies in New Corporate Equality Index

WASHINGTON - January 21, 2020 - America's leading companies and law firms are stepping up in record numbers to adopt increasingly forward-looking policies and practices to meet the needs of their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workers in the U.S. and abroad, according to the 2020 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) released today by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest LGBTQ civil rights organization.
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Erie Dems LGBTQIA+ Caucus Update

The Erie County Democratic Party LGBTQIA+ caucus had their first meeting of 2020 and began plans for this very important election year. Elected officers included Michael Mahler (President), Annie Rosenthal (Vice President), and Rex Apps (Secretary.) Completing the board are Pam Nolan, Roger Wolbert, Kyle Hannon and David Wieczorek. The caucus is open to all registered Democrats living in Erie County (straight/cisgender allies welcome) and meets the second Monday of the month at 7 PM at Erie Dems HQ, 1305 State St, Erie PA.
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Children Born Abroad to Married U.S. Same-Sex Parents Are U.S. Citizens, Lambda Legal Tells Courts

(New York, NY -- January 17, 2020) Lambda Legal, Immigration Equality and pro bono counsel Morgan Lewis this week urged federal district courts in Georgia and Maryland to compel the U.S. State Department to recognize the U.S. citizenship of two children born abroad to married same-sex couples who are themselves U.S. citizens. Children born abroad to married different-sex parents who are U.S. citizens are routinely recognized as U.S. citizens, but the State Department is deliberately miss-applying federal statutes to deny similar treatment to the marital children of same-sex couples.
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Lambda Legal Urges Tennessee State Senate to Pull Discriminatory Child Welfare Bill SB 1304

(NEW YORK, NY - January 14, 2020) --The Tennessee State Senate is poised to vote today Tuesday on Tennessee SB 1304, a license-to-discriminate bill that allows taxpayer-funded child welfare agencies to reject foster or adoptive parents based upon the agency's religious beliefs.
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Trump's Religious Doublespeak Harms LGBTQ People

(January 16, 2020, Dallas, TX) - Responding to Trump's latest attack on LGBTQ people, women, religious minorities, and people of color on National Religious Freedom Day, National LGBTQ Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey gave this statement: "National Religious Freedom Day should be about how we as a society make space for diverse people of faith as well as those who do not observe. Instead we are facing an administration that uses religion as a tool of oppression. The regulations released today by the Trump administration will empower social service providers who want to discriminate to do so with impunity. The stated reason for the new rules is to 'remove burdens' on providers, but serving women, people of color, religious minorities, and LGBTQ people is not a burden. Instead, these rules reinforce the power of people with privilege at the expense of people who have been marginalized.
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Lambda Legal and ACLU Urge Federal Court in Ohio to Strike Down Anti-Transgender Birth Certificate Policy

(Columbus, OH, January 16, 2019) - Today, Lambda Legal, the ACLU and ACLU of Ohio filed a motion for summary judgment in the Southern District of Ohio, asking the Court to strike down the state's policy prohibiting transgender people from correcting the gender marker on their birth certificates. The policy is discriminatory and violates the plaintiffs' constitutional rights to privacy, free speech, and equal protection.
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PCAR applauds efforts by Gov. Wolf to eliminate sexual violence and harassment on post-secondary campuses through It's On Us PA campaign?

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the network of victim service programs servicing all 67 counties in the Commonwealth applaud Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary Pedro Rivera for their efforts to make post-secondary campuses safer through the It's On Us PA campaign.
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Groups File Federal Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration's So-Called 'Safe Third Country' Asylum Policy

WASHINGTON - January 15, 2020 - The American Civil Liberties Union, National Immigrant Justice Center, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, and Human Rights First filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the Trump administration's policies regarding so-called "safe third country" agreements with Guatemala and other nations that force people fleeing for their lives to seek asylum in the same dangerous region they fled.
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Woodford County Fiscal Court Approves Fairness Ordinance

(Woodford County, KY - January 14, 2020) With a five to three vote of the fiscal court tonight, Woodford County, population 26,368, became the first Kentucky County in two decades to approve a Fairness Ordinance prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Jefferson County was the last county-wide municipal government to approve the measure in October 1999 before merging with the city of Louisville. Lexington-Fayette County's merged government also approved a Fairness Ordinance in July 1999.
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Victory! Federal Court Upholds Injunction Preventing Discharge of HIV-Positive Airmen by Trump Administration, Calling it Outmoded and at Odds with Science

RICHMOND, VA - January 10, 2020 - Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld a lower court ruling in Roe & Voe v. Esper that halted efforts by the Trump administration to discharge members of the Air Force because they are living with HIV. The decision will allow two active-duty Airmen living with HIV, identified pseudonymously as Richard Roe and Victor Voe, to continue serving in the U.S. Air Force as well as preventing the discharge of any other Airmen living with HIV.
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Unanimous Vote Tonight Makes Fort Thomas 17th KY City with LGBTQ Fairness Ordinance

(Fort Thomas, KY n- January 7, 2020) With a unanimous vote of 5-0 by the city council tonight, the Campbell County town of Fort Thomas, population 16,263, became the seventeenth city in the Commonwealth and fifth in Northern Kentucky to approve a Fairness Ordinance prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations.
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Lambda Legal Sues New York State Over Policy Prohibiting Birth Certificate Corrections for Transgender Minors

(NEW YORK, NY -- January 7, 2020) Today Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit challenging New York State's policy categorically prohibiting transgender minors from correcting the sex designation on their birth certificates - a critically important document for transgender people seeking to navigate through life with accurate government documents.
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Health

Call for Presenters and Posters for PA LGBTQIA Health Conference

The Pennsylvania LGBTQIA Health Conference 2020 is calling for presenters and posters for the conference. The deadline is Friday, February 28, 2020. Applications may be submitted at the link here. This year's conference will be held June 2 & 3 at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel.
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PA LGBTQIA+ Health Conference in Erie, Housing Request

For the past 3 years, the PA LGBTQIA+ Health Conference has been held in Cranberry PA. The advisory committee has decided to move the conference around the commonwealth, and this year's conference will be at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel on June 2 & 3! The event features informative presentations, panel discussions, and more about health issues affecting LGBTQIA+ people
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Surprise! I was Wrong.

When I wrote the initial proposal for my book, it was called "The Queer Person's Guide to Love, Monogamy and Open Relationships" and it addressed monogamy and open relationships in the LGBTQ community).
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Letters, Columnists and Opinion

Stonewall is not my legacy

One of my favorite movies is "Some Like It Hot," starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. It's one of those old-time 1950s screwball comedies. At one point, Marilyn Monroe looks at Jack Lemmon - in drag no less - and says, "On my next birthday, I'll be 25, a quarter of a century - makes a girl think."
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Bath Door Balks at Booting Hostage; Hostage Trapped for NINETY-MINUTES; Suspect Subdued with Electrical Weapon

A woman in a remote town in Oregon suffered a harrowing ninety minutes before her rescue by three brave public servants.
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A pilgrimage to where my hero lies

From Mark Segal of Philadelphia Gay News: You should know this name. Over the holidays, I had the closest thing to a pilgrimage that I'll ever know.

Many of you don't know the name Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, but when I'm asked who my LGBT hero is, the answer is, it's him. To put it simply, Hirschfeld is the father of the LGBT movement for equality. You might think it was those of us at Stonewall or those at the Independence Hall marches or those even earlier like Harry Hay and the Mattachine Society in 1950. But all of us don't hold a candle to Hirschfeld, who started his work, not in 1950, but 65 years earlier in Berlin, Germany in 1896

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Taking stock of life during Stonewall 50

Like many, as the year ends, I usually take a look at what kind of year it has been. For me, 2019 was the year of Stonewall 50 and celebrating 50 years as an activist for change. This year turned out to be the busiest of my life, and thanks to you, it gave me an opportunity to take stock of not only the year, but my life as well.
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Contests

Enter to win Kill The Monsters DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures!

Enter to win Kill The Monsters DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures!
Enter to win Kill The Monsters DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, Feburary 18 and Tuesday, March 10.
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Enter to win a free download of Birds of Prey: The Album

Enter to win a free download of Birds of Prey: The Album
Enter now for your chance to win a free download of Birds of Prey: The Album, the star-studded, all-female musical companion to the new film from Warner Bros. Pictures. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, February 7 and Friday, February 28.
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Enter for the chance to win an annual subscription to Film Movement Plus!

Enter for the chance to win an annual subscription to Film Movement Plus!
Enter for the chance to win an annual subscription to Film Movement Plus! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, February 4 and Tuesday, February 25.
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Enter for the chance to win Hotspot by Pet Shot Boys!

Enter for the chance to win Hotspot by Pet Shot Boys!
Enter for the chance to win Hotspot by Pet Shot Boys! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, January 31 and Friday, February 21.
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Enter for the chance to win Avidly Reads Making Out!

Enter for the chance to win Avidly Reads Making Out!
Enter for the chance to win Avidly Reads Making Out ! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, January 28 and Tuesday, February 18.
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Enter to win Hollywood Gays and Hollywood Lesbians: From Garbo to Foster e-books by Boze Hadleigh from Riverdale Avenue Books!

Enter to win Hollywood Gays and Hollywood Lesbians: From Garbo to Foster e-books by Boze Hadleigh from Riverdale Avenue Books!
Enter to win Hollywood Gays and Hollywood Lesbians: From Garbo to Foster e-books by Boze Hadleigh from Riverdale Avenue Books! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, January 24 and Friday, February 14.
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Enter to win Church & State DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures!

Enter to win Church & State DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures!
Enter to win Church & State DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, January 21 and Tuesday, February 11.
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Enter to win Ted of the d'Urbervilles ebook by Rob Rosen!

Enter to win Ted of the d'Urbervilles ebook by Rob Rosen!
Enter to win Ted of the d'Urbervilles ebook by Rob Rosen! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday. January 17 and Friday, February 7.
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Enter to win a free download of Halsey's new album Manic

Enter to win a free download of Halsey's new album Manic
Enter now for your chance to win a free download of Halsey's new album Manic featuring "Without Me," "Graveyard" and "You Should Be Sad" To enter the contest, fill out the form here between January 14 and February 4.
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