August 2015 - Issue 237 October 2003
EGN
Erie Pride Parade and Fest on August 29! Erie Pride weekend pages 9-12
Erie Gay News
Erie Pride Fest on Sat, August 29
NW PA Pride Alliance will be presenting Erie Pride Fest on Saturday, August 29. The event will begin with the Pride Parade. Assembly for the parade begins at noon at the Zone Dance Club, 133 W 18th St, and step off is at 1 PM. If your group or organization would like to have a unit in the Parade, please let us know by August 21 by emailing mmahler@nwpapride. org Individuals are very much welcome to be in the parade as well! The festival will begin at 2 PM and will feature performers and entertainers. Please bring a non-perishable donation for the Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA. Keynote Speaker is Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s Physician General and first openly transgender appointee to be confirmed to state office. There will also be vendors and info tables. Tables are $15 each and come with 2 chairs. Deadline for getting a table is August 21. PLEASE NOTE! We are scheduled to hold the rally on the west side of Perry Square; however, at this writing, that side of the park is under construction and fenced off. If it is still not ready by the Pride Fest date, then the Pride Fest will be held at Griswold Park (150 W. 14th Street - West 14th & Peach, by the train station). Regardless of which park we end up using, the Parade will still assemble at the Zone Dance Club at noon. Visit www.nwpapride.org
New name: Erie Sisters is now Erie Sisters and Brothers
from Erie Sisters and Bothers The Erie Sisters Transgender Support Group, established in 1991, has undergone a formal change of name. Recognizing the need to welcome and serve the entire transgender community, the name has been changed to the Erie Sisters and Brothers. According to Erie Sisters and Brothers president, Melanie Shubitowski, “The male to female aspect of the transgender community has long been associated with the transgender condition, but in recent years there have been an increasing number of female to
An elated Alex Sphon at the Erie rally celebrating the June 26 Supreme Court ruling making marriage equality the law of the land. Article page 3, photos from the rally are at our website www.eriegaynews.com Photo by Will Koehler male, genetically or biologically intersexed, and gender neutral individuals coming forward and making themselves known. With the information explosion and recent emergence of celebrities like former Olympic athlete, Caitlyn Jenner, and actress, LaVerne Cox, the general public is becoming more aware and sensitive of transgender issues, and as a result, trans individuals are increasingly coming out.” The change of our name reflects the need to provide resources to the trans community as a whole, as well as a broader public awareness. While our web address will remain the same, our logo, layout and operations will undergo changes in the near future. The Erie Sisters and Brothers operates under the parent 501c3 corporation, the Lake Erie Group, and also hosts the annual Lake Erie Gala, (continued on page 3)