February, 2021 News (32 Articles with 31,885 total views)

On the cover of the print edition for February, 2021 Elaine Reed, Leah Manino, and Alex Sphon at Gem City Dinor on December 21 for Warm Coats and Boots Drive.

This began publication in December 2002 after a hiatus

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Calendar of Local GLBT Events

Up to date listing of events and meetings.

Local and Regional News

Senator Markey and Congressman Lowenthal Reintroduce Legislation Affirming U.S. Commitment to International LGBTQI Rights

Senator Markey and Congressman Lowenthal Reintroduce Legislation Affirming U.S. Commitment to International LGBTQI Rights
Washington (February 3, 2021) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) today announced they will reintroduce the International Human Rights Defense Act, a bicameral effort to reaffirm the United States' role as a world leader in the promotion of LGBTQI equality. Nearly 70 nations around the world have enacted laws that criminalize homosexuality, as abuses in Russia, Tanzania, Uganda, Indonesia, Central America, and elsewhere demonstrate a continued threat to the fundamental rights of LGBTQI communities in every region of the world. The coronavirus pandemic has also exacerbated the threat to LGBTQI communities, who frequently lack access to adequate health care, often live in unsafe or unwelcoming environments, and have faced discrimination and stigma associated with the spread of COVID-19.
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Hundreds of Organizations (Including Several Based in Erie) Back Dr. Rachel Levine's Nomination to be Assistant Secretary of Health

Following the historic nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine by the Biden Administration for Assistant Secretary of Health, hundreds of organizations across the United States, including several based in Erie,  have joined together to urge the U.S. Senate to swiftly confirm her to this position.
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Coat and Boot Drive on Dec 21

On Monday, December 21, 2020, The Greater Erie Alliance, NW PA Pride, and NW Rural AIDS Alliance joined forces to hold a warm coat and boot drive to benefit individuals served by the Ryan White Program. The drop off site was hosted by the Gem City Dinor, 3545 West 12th Street in Erie. Owners Elaine Reed and Rich Hodges were happy to open their doors to host the coat/boot drive.
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The Zone Dance Club Is Temporarily Closed

The Zone Dance Club, 133 W 18th St, Erie PA, unexpectedly closed on January 23 because one of the employees tested positive for COVID-19. The employee had minimal contact with the rest of the staff and no contact with customers.
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Mayor's LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council meeting Jan 13

The Mayor's LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council met on January 13. Erie's Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Municipal Equality Index is now at 80. We will explore having County Council pass a conversion therapy ban, similar to what the City of Erie passed in June 2019. We are still working with the Chief of Police on gathering hate crime info. We will also send letters to state legislators advocating for a statewide conversion therapy ban and non-discrimination. Pennsylvania also lacks explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in hate crimes legislation at the state level.
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Erie Sisters update

Erie Sisters Transgender Support Group is proceeding with its Lake Erie Gala event scheduled for November 17 thru the 21st. Also, check out monthly Zoom parties!
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Let's Talk About Money

What form of abuse do ninety-nine percent of partner violence victims have in common? Here are some hints: it doesn't leave bruises, it loves creating dependency, and it leaves its victims broke and broken.
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2020 Health Needs Assessment Zoom presentations on Feb 25

The Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center will present an overview of the 2020 Pennsylvania LGBTQ Health Needs Assessment focused on Erie. There will be two sessions, both on Thursday, February 25. The first session will be at 1 PM and primarily targets health and human services professionals, and the other session will be at 7 PM, which will mainly target community members. However, anyone is welcome to go to either or both sessions. They are both expected to last about 45 minutes. The link to register for the 1 PM session is here, and the link for the 7 PM session is here.
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Deadline for February 2021 print edition (issue #303) of Erie Gay News is Friday, January 15, comes out Tuesday, January 26.

Deadline for February 2021 print edition (issue #303) of Erie Gay News is Friday, January 15, comes out Tuesday, January 26.
For the next edition of Erie Gay News (issue # 303, cover dated for February 2021), please send in online events, news items, and other info for late January 2021 and beyond by Friday, January 15. We expect that the next edition will come out on Tuesday, January 26.
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Entertainment and Travel

Black History Month Calendar on LGBTQ+ Revry Network

Black History Month Calendar on LGBTQ+ Revry Network
Los Angeles, CA - Feb. 2, 2021 - Revry celebrates Black History Month with an entire February calendar highlighting incredible Black Queer content made by and for the community.
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Top 5 Things to Do in Phoenix in 2021

Phoenix, Arizona is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. With a population topping 4.5 million people, the desert oasis provides a sprawling landscape complete with fabulous dining, retail, cultural attractions, and natural wonders that will surely please almost anyone. My last visit to Phoenix was highlighted by Phoenix Pride, which is tentatively scheduled for April 10-11, 2021. This year is the 40th Anniversary of the organization and one can only hope that ample amounts of vaccines are available to ensure the parade and festival go forward as planned.
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"MTV Following: Bretman Rock" to premiere Monday, February 8th at 4PM ET on MTV YouTube

New York, NY (January 27, 2021) - MTV today announced its new original digital reality series, "MTV's Following: Bretman Rock," starring social media phenom Bretman Rock, will premiere on Monday, February 8 at 4PM ET on MTV YouTube. New episodes of the six-week long series will premiere each Monday at 4PM ET.
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Political, Activism and Legal

National AIDS Memorial Observes Black History Month with AIDS Memorial Quilt

SAN FRANCISCO (February 4, 2021) - During Black History Month, the National AIDS Memorial honors Black lives lost to AIDS with a specially curated selection of 56 blocks of the AIDS Memorial Quilt (the Quilt). The exhibition uses the beauty and power of the Quilt to bring to light stories of the countless men, women and children who have died, and the impact AIDS has had on Black Americans.
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Equality California Congratulates Pete Buttigieg on Confirmation as Secretary of Transportation

LOS ANGELES - February 2, 2021 - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Pete Buttigieg as Secretary of Transportation by a vote of 86-13. Secretary Buttigieg became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be confirmed by the Senate to a cabinet level position. Equality California, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization, had previously endorsed his candidacy for president in the 2020 primary election before becoming the first LGBTQ+ organization to endorse then Vice President Joe Biden in the general. Equality California, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Rick Chavez Zbur: "Today is an historic day for our LGBTQ+ community and our nation. The confirmation of Pete Buttigieg signals to millions of LGBTQ+ kids across our country that anything is possible and that LGBTQ+ people belong in every seat of power.
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MMAA Condemns Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene's Statement on 'Hate American Flags'

WASHINGTON - February 1, 2021 - Tonight, the Modern Military Association of America (MMAA) - the nation's largest LGBTQ military and veteran non-profit organization - condemns Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene's statement on 'hate American flags,' including the Pride flag.
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Pennsylvania Equality Project launches petition favoring Dr. Rachel Levine's Nomination to be Assistant Secretary of Health

President Joe Biden has nominated Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania's Secretary of Health to become the next Assistant Secretary of Health at the Department of Health and Human Services. Beyond her current position with the Wolf Administration, Secretary Levine also serves as the president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). She previously served as Physician General for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Dr. Levine has managed the PA Department of Health's response to numerous crises including the opioid crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. She holds degrees from both Harvard College and Tulane University and has practiced medicine at Penn State Hershey Medical Center since 1993. Dr. Levine is eminently qualified to lead at the federal level in this new role.
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President Biden Signs Multiple Executive Orders, Impacting LGBTQ and Other Diverse Communities On First Day In Office

January 20, 2021- The following can be attributed to Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force "Today, we saw newly elected President Biden sign executive orders that exemplify the kind of leadership and breadth of understanding of what we face as a nation and as a community.
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Joint Statement of Support for Reversal of Transgender Military Ban

WASHINGTON D.C. - January 25, 2021- Today, Service Members, Partners, Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All (SPART*A) and the Modern Military Association of America (MMAA), the nation's leading LGBTQ servicemember and veteran organizations affirm their strong support for President Biden's executive order to end the transgender military ban.
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Senator Wiener Introduces Legislation to Stop Medically Unnecessary Surgeries on Intersex and Other Infants and Young Children

SACRAMENTO - January 15, 2021 -? Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced SB 225: the Bodily Autonomy, Dignity and Choice Act, to provide children and their families a chance to make informed decisions about major surgeries to change variations in the appearance of genitalia and other sex characteristics. Under SB 225, these surgeries will be prohibited when a child is under the age of six (except in the cases where it is medically necessary), allowing for parents to continue to learn with their child and child's physician regarding the potential need for medical interventions. SB 225 is cosponsored by Equality California, interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the ACLU of California.
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New Report Outlines Why the Equality Act is the Civil Rights Update Needed Now for Women and People of Color, in Addition to LGBTQ People

(January 26, 2021) A new report released today, "Why We All Need the Equality Act Now," outlines the ways in which the Equality Act is vital legislation not just for LGBTQ people, but also for women, people of color, immigrants, and people of minority faiths.
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Local Legislators Behaving Badly

Republican state Senators Dan Laughlin and Michele Brooks recently refused to seat their state Senate colleague.
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PYC Statement on Historic Nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine for Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Youth Congress congratulates Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine on her historic nomination to become Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Biden Administration. If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the highest-ranking out transgender official in the United States government. Dr. Levine was first the Physician General of Pennsylvania when Governor Tom Wolf took office in 2015, and became Secretary of Health in 2018. She was unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate for both posts.
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Letters, Columnists and Opinion

The biggest LGBT stories of 2020

From Philadelphia Gay News: Although Trump continued to chip away at the rights our community has attained over the last few years, we did make some amazing gains in Trump's final year as President. The importance of some of these earth shattering changes have been overshadowed by a lack of historic knowledge.
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The Amazon Trail: All Along the Watchtower

Oh, hell, what can I say at a time like this? Did we think they'd simply go away?
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Contests

Enter to win Goodbye Seventies DVD from Ariztical Entertainment!

Enter to win Goodbye Seventies DVD from Ariztical Entertainment!
Enter to win Goodbye Seventies DVD from Ariztical Entertainment. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, February 16, and Tuesday, March 9.
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Enter to win Happy Cleaners DVD

Enter to win Happy Cleaners DVD
Enter to win Happy Cleaners DVD. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, February 12, and Friday, March 5
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Enter to win Two Spirits, One Heart - A Mother, Her Transgender Son, and Their Journey to Love and Acceptance

Enter to win Two Spirits, One Heart - A Mother, Her Transgender Son, and Their Journey to Love and Acceptance
Enter to win Two Spirits, One Heart - A Mother, Her Transgender Son, and Their Journey to Love and Acceptance by Marsha Aizumi, Aiden Takeo Aizumi. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, February 9, and Tuesday, March 2.
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Enter to win Falling digital pass

Enter to win Falling digital pass
Enter to win Falling digital pass. To enter the contest, fill out the form below between Friday, February 5, and Friday, February 26. Viggo Mortensen's directorial debut is "Masterful", "Compelling" and "A beautifully controlled drama". @falling.film is now available on demand on iTunes.
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Enter to win Pamela Means and The Reparations - Live at Northfire

Enter to win Pamela Means and The Reparations - Live at Northfire
Enter to win Pamela Means and The Reparations - Live at Northfire. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, February 2, and Tuesday, February 23.
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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 below between Friday, January 29 and Friday, February 19.
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Enter to win call me him.: a transgender coming-of-age story by River Braun

Enter to win call me him.: a transgender coming-of-age story by River Braun
Enter to win call me him.: a transgender coming-of-age story by River Braun. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, January 22, and Friday, February 12.
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Miscellaneous

World's Largest Public Two-Spirit/LGBTQAI Native American Powwow Commemorates its 10th Anniversary with a Week-Long Celebration of Virtual Events February 2-6

World's Largest Public Two-Spirit/LGBTQAI Native American Powwow Commemorates its 10th Anniversary with a Week-Long Celebration of Virtual Events February 2-6
Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (BAAITS) exists to restore and recover the role of Two-Spirit people within the American Indian/First Nations community by creating a forum for the spiritual, cultural and artistic expression of Two-Spirit people. BAAITS is a volunteer-based organization that established the first and largest public Two-Spirit powwow in the world.
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