Pioneering activist reflects on 30 years of Pride in Erie
Picture it: Erie, May 1992. A second-degree conviction for the murder of Donald Kremer, a gay man who had been killed in December of 1991. A local TV reporter had contacted me, and asked if I wanted to speak about the story, and assured me that they could disguise my face and voice, which had been the norm for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people in Erie media before. Since I had been disappointed that others always had not used their faces and voices to make our community real, it was incumbent on me to not do the same, so very nervously, I said that wouldn’t be necessary. (Please note that local activist Harry Miller had spoken on the radio using just his first name many years earlier, so there is always history leading up to any moment.)
We had our first Pride Picnic at Presque Isle a few weeks after that, and about 50 people showed up. On August 13, NW PA Pride Alliance will host the 29th annual Erie Pride Picnic at the Rotary Pavilion at Presque Isle.
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There have been some incredible advances. We worked together to help Erie County pass an LGBTQ-inclusive Human Relations Commission ordinance back in 2002. Despite then-County Executive Rick Schenker trying to kill the important work of the HRC by not staffing the organization, it persisted. (And here’s hoping that the current county government doesn’t try a similar tactic.)
We still lack state and federal legislation that explicitly includes protections for sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. It is infuriating that legislators are attacking trans and queer youth by working on legislation that doesn’t address anything that is a problem and fail to work on legislation that is not only necessary but solidly supported by a majority of Americans. Indeed, one of the biggest challenges that we face is that most people think that it is so self-evident that people should not be able to be fired, kicked out of their homes, or refused publication accommodations simply because of who they are or who they love, that they are shocked to hear that laws do not already cover it.
I am heartened by the richness and diversity within Erie’s LGBTQIA+ community. I spent a recent Saturday in Frontier Park at the Erie Trans Picnic with some truly lovely and friendly young folks. I am glad to know local Asexual (Ace) activists and community members. When I was first active in the early 1990s, the new common term for the community was LesBiGay (for lesbian, bisexual, and gay), and I am now thrilled that we recognize that our community includes so many more identities. Here is room for EVERYONE at the table.
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This December will also mark the 30th anniversary of Erie Gay News. So many volunteers, distributors, and supporters have helped us keep our region’s community informed.
It is also exciting seeing nearby regions like Ashtabula, Ohio, Jamestown, New York, and Warren, Pennsylvania, put on their own vibrant Pride events. I had a friend from elementary school who I caught up with years ago, who was living in Greenwich Village at the time, and he remarked that they could tell that it was the weekend because they would occasionally see straight couples on the street. However, for all of us working in less established and densely populated areas, knowing that we are making a difference where it is needed is intensely fulfilling. NW PA Pride Alliance is thrilled that we will be able to host a Pride in the Streets event in Meadville on July 23, in addition to our Erie events.
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After two years of having to be virtual due to COVID-19, Erie will be returning to having an in-person Pride event on June 26 in Perry Square. I am very much looking forward to walking in the Pride Parade holding my boyfriend’s hand, and seeing friends old and new!
Michael Mahler is the editor of Erie Gay News (www.eriegaynews.com). He also serves as treasurer of NW PA Pride Alliance, and was a founding member. In addition, he also serves on the Erie Mayor’s LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council and on the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, since they were founded in 2018.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Pioneering Erie activist Michael Mahler reflects on 30 years of Pride
