November, 2021 News (55 Articles with 42,099 total views)
On the cover of the print edition for November, 2021 Walking in the 4th Annual HIV / AIDS Awareness Walk on September 27, 2021. Photo by Michael Mahler.
This began publication in December 2002 after a hiatus
Category for this issueCalendar & Upcoming Events
Calendar of Local GLBT Events |
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Local and Regional News
Jamestown Pride is Looking for Marketing and Outreach Chair for Pride Steering Committee
Jamestown Pride is getting ready for our next Pride Fest on June 11, 2022, and we have an opening for a Marketing and Outreach Chair! Would you like to be on the Pride Steering Committee?
Sneakers in Jamestown Reopens
Sneakers, 100 Harrison St, Jamestown NY, has reopened after being closed during the pandemic. They are open Tuesday through Sunday from 3 PM to 2 AM. Events coming up include Fresh Buns New Meat-Live Music on Sat, Oct 30 and DJ Giulia with Star Sirch on November 27. Welcome back!
15th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend raises $3270
This year’s Pink Party weekend was October 9th and 10th at The Zone Dance Club, 133 W 18th St. The benefit was a two-night event with money going to Linked By Pink. Michelle Michaels is donating the money this year in the memory of a friend who lost her battle this year. We love and miss your big heart, Tiffani Staley. The two-night event raised $3270.
TransFamily of NW PA - Transgender Day of Remembrance
TransFamily of NWPA is organizing an event for Transgender Day of Remembrance. The traditional date for Transgender Day of Remembrance is November 20.
Chautauqua Institution's Vice President of Religion and Senior Pastor Gene Robinson Is Retiring
Chautauqua Institution has announced the retirement of the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson as Vice President of Religion and Senior Pastor, effective Dec. 31. Robinson joined the Institution staff in 2017, following a career in Episcopal Church leadership that culminated with service as bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. Robinson is an outspoken advocate for the rights of marginalized populations, recognized for his groundbreaking work with the LGBTQ community, youth communities and those suffering from abuse and addiction.
Warren County Pride is People's Choice Winner for 2021
Warren County Pride was awarded the People's Choice Award for Warren County Event of 2021. On Saturday, June 26, nearly 1,000 celebrated Pride together at Warren's Bett's Park. The event was entitled "Proud to Be Me" and featured a keynote from Lt. Gov. John Fetterman as well as speeches from Dr. Tyler Titus, Malcolm Kenyatta, Pastor Julia DiFiore, Dr. Greg Rabb, and Dr. Dale Haight.
Jamestown Pride Highlights LGBTQIA+ Voices at Coffeehouse Event
Seventy people attended Jamestown Pride's annual Fall event, the "J-Pride Coffeehouse," at the Robert H. Jackson Center on Friday, October 15th. Planned in collaboration with the Robert H. Jackson Center and the Fenton History Center, the event focused on the struggles, stories, and successes of the Queer community in Chautauqua County.
Erie Drag Queen Bingo November 13
Join The Erie Drag Queens Saturday, November 13, 2021, at the Zem Zem Shrine Center for an evening of glitz, glamour, and good times! With over $2300 in cash money given away, this event has always been sold out. Doors open at 6 PM, and Bingo starts at 7:15 PM.
Fifth Annual Full Spectrum Holiday Gala on December 18
Full Spectrum Community Outreach Center is very happy to announce the return of our 5th Annual Holiday GALA event. It will be hosted by Denise Russell will be held on Saturday, December 18th, 2021 from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM at DiVieste's Banquet Centre in Warren, Ohio. Masks and social distancing are required. The event features a full dinner, swag bags, 50/50 and raffle baskets, and an open bar. Tickets are $55 per person or $400 for a table of eight.
Full Spectrum Community Center Celebrating National Coming Out Day at Westside Bowl
Full Spectrum Community Center will be celebrating National Coming Out Day by providing a safe space at Westside Bowl, 2617 Mahoning Ave, Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday, October 11th, from 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM.
What Could You Do with a 0% Loan and Access to a Global Community of Support?
Because not every worthy business wants or qualifies for a conventional bank loan, PNC is partnering with the global nonprofit SheEO to provide 0% loans to women and nonbinary entrepreneurs.. APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED SEPTEMBER 13 - NOVEMBER 1, 2021. LEARN MORE AND APPLY AT PNC.COM/WOMEN. PNC is excited to help our customers connect with SheEO's radically generous worldwide community that's on a mission to change how businesses owned by women and nonbinary people are funded and supported.
City of Erie Opens Next Round of Flagship Fund Microgrants
Erie, Pa. - Oct. 7, 2021 - The City of Erie Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) announced that applications are now open for the next cycle of Flagship Fund microgrants for Erie small businesses. The deadline to apply is Oct. 29.
Deadline for November 2021 print edition (issue #312) of Erie Gay News is Friday, October 15, comes out Tuesday, October 26
For the next Erie Gay News (issue # 312, cover-dated for November 2021), please send in online events, news items, and other info for late October 2021 and beyond by Friday, October 15. We expect that the next edition will come out on Tuesday, October 26.
Entertainment and Travel
Pride Journey: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Yes, Kalamazoo is a real place! I personally never questioned its realness, however, I did see a ton of souvenirs with that slogan so I guess that may be a question on some of your minds. Kalamazoo is located in southwest Michigan, not too far from Grand Rapids and Saugatuck, two destinations I reported on a few years ago.
Logo's award-winning digital series Logo Live hosted by Johnny Sibilly returns on Tuesday, November 2
New York, NY (October 26, 2021) - Logo today announced that its award-winning digital series, Logo Live, will return Tuesday, November 2nd - streaming on Logo TV's Instagram every Tuesday and Thursday night at 7PM ET.
Ray Cooney's Funny Money at All An Act Theatre Nov 5-28
Ray Cooney's Funny Money will be presented at All An Act Theatre November 5 through November 28.
Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus - SAY IT LOUD Concert on Oct 16
The Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus opens its 20th Anniversary Season on Saturday, October 16 at 7:30 PM at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1080 Main Street, Buffalo NY. with SAY IT LOUD, a Coming Out Day Concert which focuses on having the confidence to proclaim who you are without fear, about the strength that comes from honoring your truth, and how to support those who are going through the coming out process.
Pride Journey - Savannah
Taking a trip to Savannah is like taking a journey back in time. Even the airport is designed with architectural elements in mind that make it clear to guests that they are in for a unique experience.
Political, Activism and Legal
Civil Rights Advocates Bring Federal Court Challenge to Tennessee Law Banning Trans Students in School Sports
(Nashville, TN, November 4, 2021) - Today, Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the ACLU of Tennessee filed a lawsuit challenging a Tennessee law excluding transgender youth from participating in school sports.
New Democracy Maps Show Startling Differences in Election Systems and Access to Voting Across the States
November 2, 2021-Sixty percent of Americans live in states with sub-par voting laws, according to a new report from the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and One for Democracy. The State of Democracy: How Election Laws Differ Around the Country report, released today, found that access to democracy varies dramatically by state, and that states with the most restrictive voter laws also have the lowest voter turnout. The report is part of an initiative from MAP and One for Democracy called Democracy Maps (mapresearch.org/democracy-maps), a tool to track dozens of laws and policies around the country related to voting and elections.
Victory! Lambda Legal Secures Social Security Survivor's Benefits for Same-Sex Partners
(November 1, 2021) - Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Social Security Administration (SSA) dismissed their Ninth Circuit appeals of two nationwide class actions won by Lambda Legal in favor of surviving same-sex spouses and partners denied equal access to social security survivor's benefits. This development affects individuals who were unable to meet the requirement for survivor's benefits that they be married for a minimum of nine months because of discriminatory marriage laws. Last year, federal district courts in Arizona and Washington struck down these individuals' exclusion from benefits as unconstitutional in response to Lambda Legal lawsuits.
Supreme Court Declines to Review Ruling in Favor of Patient who was Denied Care for Being Transgender
WASHINGTON - November 1, 2021 - The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to hear a challenge to a California court decision in favor of a patient who was turned away from a hospital for being transgender.
Creating Change Conference, "Reunite and Reignite" Coming to New Orleans January 2022, Registration Now Open
November 1, 2021, Washington, D.C. - The National LGBTQ Task Force has opened registration for the Creating Change Conference, the largest LGBTQ+ activist conference in the U.S. The Conference will be held in-person in host city New Orleans, LA on January 12-16, 2022.
Lambda Legal Applauds Confirmation of First Openly Lesbian Judge to Federal Appeals Court
WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 1, 2021 - Today, the Senate voted 51-45 to confirm Beth Robinson to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Robinson, who was previously an associate judge on the Vermont Supreme Court, is the first openly lesbian woman to serve on an U.S. court of appeals.
Disability Rights Groups Urge Supreme Court to Uphold Protections Against Disability Discrimination
WASHINGTON - October 29, 2021 - Disability rights organizations filed friend-of-the-court briefs today urging the Supreme Court to uphold disability rights by rejecting CVS's attempt to dismantle non-discrimination protections under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
International Trans Fund Grant 12/5 Deadline
The ITF is pleased to announce our 6th grant cycle! We welcome applications from trans-led organizations with budgets below $100,000 USD based in any region of the world. The deadline to apply is December 5, 2021 at 5pm (ET/New York time).
Polish Parliament Sends Draft Bill Banning Pride for Further Work in Committees
Today, on October 29, 2021, the Polish Parliament voted to send a bill which proposes to amend the right to freedom of assembly to ban Pride marches and other events promoting LGBTIQ equality for further work in committees. The draft bill stipulates that any event which questions marriage as a relationship between a woman and a man or propagates the extension of marriage to persons of the same sex can not go ahead.
US State Department Issues Passport With X Gender Marker
The US State Department issued a US Passport with an X gender marker today, marking the first time a gender neutral passport is issued in the country and sending a strong message in support of the rights of trans, intersex and non binary persons.
Campus Pride Releases "The Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth" In the Nation
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - October 25, 2021 -- Today, Campus Pride officially released its 2021 Worst List, naming 180 campuses across the country as "the absolute worst, most unsafe campuses for LGBTQ youth." The colleges and universities included in this year's list have either received or applied for a Title IX religious exemption to openly discriminate against LGBTQ youth, or they have a demonstrated history of anti-LGBTQ policies, programs, and practices.
Pennsylvania Tops List of Most LGBTQ Candidates Running for Office at Third Highest in Nation
(October 26, 2021) GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, and the LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ people, highlight new findings that show an exponential increase in LGBTQ representation in electoral politics-with the number of out LGBTQ candidates running for office at the local, state, and federal level continuing to grow and to diversify year over year.
Dr. Rachel Levine sworn in as four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Dr. Rachel Levine once again made history becoming the first openly transgender four-star officer in any of the country's eight uniformed services.
National LGBTQ Task Force Reaction to Anti-LGBTQ+ and Other Comments by North Carolina Lt. Governor Mark Robinson
October 14. 2021 - The following can be attributed to Kierra Johnson, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force: "First and foremost, the National LGBTQ Task Force stands with all LGBTQ+ and allied North Carolinians horrified, hurt and offended by the latest rhetoric, misinformation and outright lies coming from Lt. Governor Mark Robinson.
ACLU of Texas Comment on House Voting to Pass Anti-Trans Youth Sports Bill
AUSTIN, Texas - October 14, 2021 - The Texas House voted to advance discriminatory H.B. 25, which would ban transgender students from participating on K-12 athletic teams as their authentic selves. The bill could be approved quickly by the Texas Senate before being sent to the governor's desk.
Court of Appeals Hearing on Decriminalization of Same-Sex Relations Takes Place in Botswana
Today, on 12 October 2021, the Court of Appeals of Botswana held a hearing on decriminalization of same-sex relations after the state appealed a 2019 ruling by the High Court to decriminalize.
How Mastercard's New Policy Violates Sex Workers' Rights
October 15, 2021 - Mastercard's new policy regulating adult content sellers goes into effect today. This is bad news for many sex workers, whose safety and livelihoods depend on access to financial services and online platforms. The policy makes it harder for sex workers to do business online and makes sex workers more vulnerable, especially those who are trans women of color.
Over 30 LGBTQ Leaders Endorse Superior Court Judge Maria McLaughlin for Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Philadelphia - On Thursday, Superior Court Judge Maria McLaughlin's campaign for Supreme Court announced a slate of endorsements from thirty-four LGBTQ elected officials and community leaders. This is the latest show of strong support for McLaughlin, who has spent the past year traveling across all 67 Counties to meet voters and hear their personal stories. Judge McLaughlin released the following statement regarding the endorsements "I'm honored to have the support of such incredible LGBTQ leaders from every corner of our Commonwealth. In 2011 when I ran for Common Pleas Court and again in 2017 during my campaign for Superior Court, the LGBTQ community showed my campaign so much energy and passion. Protecting equality has always been at the heart of my judicial philosophy, and I'm looking forward to being an experienced, principled, and compassionate Supreme Court Justice for all Pennsylvanians."
Governor Newsom Signs Bill To Protect Privacy of Transgender, Nonbinary Californians When Updating Legal Documents
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 218, authored by Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) and sponsored by Equality California, into law Wednesday afternoon. The legislation will create a process for Californian's seeking a change of gender to also request that their marriage license, certificate, and their children's birth certificates be reissued with their updated gender affirming information.
Governor Newsom Signs Bill To Ensure Transgender, Nonbinary College Students' Diplomas Reflect Identities
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation Wednesday authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and co-sponsored by Equality California and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis to give students at California public colleges - especially transgender and nonbinary students - the ability to have the names that reflect their gender identities printed on their diplomas. Assembly Bill 245 will ensure diplomas do not "deadname" or call the graduate by the name they were assigned at birth rather than the name they use.
Health
Family Acceptance Project Releases Poster Series for American Indian Families & Communities to Help Families to Support their LGBTQ / Two Spirit Children
San Francisco, CA, October 27, 2021 - The Family Acceptance Project (FAP) at San Francisco State University, in collaboration with Council Oak Training and Evaluation, Inc. has launched new research-based Healthy Futures posters for American Indian families & communities to help parents, families and caregivers to support LGBTQ / Two Spirit (LGBTQ-2S) children and youth to reduce health risks and increase well-being. The term "Two Spirit" is used to describe diverse gender, spiritual and social identities among Native and Indigenous people that transcend binary concepts of male and female. Historically, Two Spirit people held respected roles in many tribal communities.
ECHTF Walks for HIV Awareness
On Monday September 27, 2021, the Erie County HIV Task Force held the 4th Annual HIV / AIDS Awareness Walk at Frontier Park, Erie PA. The ECHTF is a collaboration of local organizations and individuals dedicated to educating, supporting, and advocating for people living with HIV/AIDS and preventing the spread of infection. With the COVID-19 pandemic last year, testing and treatment services were limited for HIV and STIs across the nation as well as Erie County. In 2021, significant increases have been reported in HIV / AIDS and STI cases overall. Communicable diseases including HIV/STIs are preventable with education and access to medications, prophylactics, and services. The HIV / AIDS walk provides a reminder to the local community that making personal health a priority is everyone’s right. This year’s awareness walk also welcomed the recent addition of Central Outreach Wellness Center of Erie as local health center for the LGBTQIA community. Central Outreach supplied participants with free walk t-shirts and testing opportunities via their mobile unit at the event. Awareness walk attendees also received complimentary gift bags of materials from the task force as well as event sponsors Adagio Health, SafeNet, Community HealthNet, the Erie County Department of Health, Erie Gay News, and the Northwest Pennsylvania Pride Alliance. Public Health Staff were on hand for participants to ask questions and receive additional information regarding COVID-19, and the services of Nicotine Free Northwest PA and Adagio Health.
Designing Your Relationship: The Joys of Tumbling Together
At this point in time, we have a few (but not too many) healthy role models for romantic relationships. Whether we are monogamous or open, legally married or not, we can take the qualities we admire in other people's relationships and - with a partner - create our own unique kind of relationship. This is what I call "Designing your relationship".
World AIDS Day - 40 Years Program
The public is welcome to join the Erie County HIV Task Force on December 1st for this year's World AIDS Day memorial program. This year's event will include reflections on the past 40 years of the HIV epidemic and the effect it has had on the Erie community. The event will be held in the Hirt Auditorium at the Raymond M. Blasco M.D. Memorial Library at 160 East Front Street, beginning shortly after 5pm. The Erie County HIV Task Force asks the community to wear red ribbons on December 1st this year in support and memory of our loved ones no longer with us due to HIV / AIDS. For additional details, contact Gary Snyder with the Erie County Department of Health; gsnyder@eriecountypa.gov or 814-451-6786.
Spirituality and Religion
Mount Calvary Lutheran Church of Erie, PA becomes first Reconciling In Christ Community in Erie County
The congregation of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church (located at 1603 W 32nd St. in Erie, PA.) voted on July 18, 2021 to become a Reconciling In Christ (RIC) community. The vote was a culmination of a multiyear long journey involving training, education, and dialogue led by Pastor Kristen Papson, Congregational Council, and volunteers from congregation.
Letters, Columnists and Opinion
Chappelle is transphobic, and he also degrades our history
The more I listen to the debate about the Dave Chappelle Netflix special "The Closer," the more I believe that most of those who are attacking his transphobic remarks didn't watch it or just saw a short clip. There is no doubt that the special is transphobic, but it is more than that. If you have watched it and condemned only his transphobic remarks, you might want to watch it again and note how he reduces the whole of LGBTQ history to bathroom sex.
The fight for equality is rooted in visibility
Most in our community are not aware that now is the time that will choose the direction of the struggle for LGBTQ equality. Yes, we are at a pivotal time. Just take a look at what has happened in the last month:
Opinion: Vote Maria McLaughlin for Supreme Court
by Jim DePoe, President of the Steel City Stonewall Democrats: On November 2nd, voters across Pennsylvania have the opportunity to elect new judges, county executives, mayors, school board members, and dozens of other local officials. It's going to be a crowded ballot, but one race stands out.
Contests
Enter to win Bookmarked: How the Great Works of Western Literature F*ucked Up My Life by Mark Scarborough
Enter to win Bookmarked: How the Great Works of Western Literature F*ucked Up My Life by Mark Scarborough! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, October 29, and Friday, November 19.
Enter to win Boy Meets Boy DVD from Ariztical Entertainment!
Enter to win Boy Meets Boy DVD from Ariztical Entertainment. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, October 26, and Tuesday, November 16.
History
Angela Davis, Revolutionary
"You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time." So said Angela Davis, 78, America's most famous living revolutionary. She was born in Birmingham, Alabama, one of the most incendiary of the racist Jim Crow southern cities, in a neighborhood called "Dynamite Hill," due to attacks on Black people by their white neighbors. Davis would rise to become an international beacon of anti-racist and feminist radicalism over decades, expanding her vision to include LGBTQ civil rights, Palestinian rights and her life's work against America's carceral system.
Snapshots showcase life in queer, 1970s San Francisco
The California Historical Society is in the process of digitizing two collections of photographs and negatives from the wild and heady early days of LGBTQ liberation in San Francisco.
Tee A. Corinne, Photographer of Lesbian Sexuality
Over her decades as a lesbian photographer and artist, Tee Corinne said "I'm one of the most obscure famous artists."
Staten Island museum throws open Austen's closet door
It's been a long time coming, but officials at the Alice Austen House on New York's Staten Island have thrown open the closet door, now fully embracing the lesbian pioneer and photographer who lived in the house with her longtime partner, Gertrude Tate.
In '40s and '50s, Instant Photography Gave LGBT People a 'Safe/Haven'
Two men dressed in drag for a tea party, two women cuddled up at the beach. Today these might be benign photographs, but in the early 1950s, they were memories shuttered away from public view. Until now. These two photographs and a slew of others were a part of the New York Historical Society's exhibit "Safe/Haven,"& showcasing photographs of LGBT people in Cherry Grove, New York, a popular vacation getaway for the community in the mid-century.
Pauli Murray, Architect of History
Some say Pauli Murray is the most important American activist you've never heard of. An iconoclastic socialist-leaning, gender-fluid feminist and Black Civil Rights activist, Murray broke barriers in every aspect of her life. And the barriers Murray broke, the paths Murray created single-handedly and single-mindedly, quite literally changed history.
Honor 41: Alberto Mendoza seeks to reclaim a number associated with Mexico's dark past against the LGBT community
Until recently, Alberto B. Mendoza hated 41. He cringed if his dinner bill or hotel room number had the number in it, and with the countdown to his 41st birthday, he dreaded the year to come.
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