When They Said “Happy Anniversary” and No One Clapped

On our anniversary (July 18), we went on a dinner sunset cruise here in Erie. It wasn’t fancy, but it was nice. They asked for people to share birthdays and anniversaries so I impulsively told them it was our 19th anniversary. Laura looked at me and sighed. She was right. I asked the server if […]

Rural PA LGBTQ&A with TransFamily NWPA and Erie Gay News from Erie, Pennsylvania

Rural organizing Erie County

This is part of a new occasional series exploring LGBTQ organizing in rural Pennsylvania communities. After our recent driving trip through the PA Wilds communities, I was impressed that after an almost complete lack of queer visibility, a slew of new LGBTQ projects unfolded in my feed – a Pride event in Elk County, a Pride parade […]

Queering the PA Wilds, Day Three

This was a long one. We checked out of Erie, had a local breakfast, and hit the road traveling on US 60 and PA 59 through the Allegheny Forest into the region known as the PA Wilds.It was basically a long, winding two lane road. We listened to The History Chicks podcast. It took us […]

Queering the PA Wilds, Day One

This is my travelogue, written to help me remember. You are welcome to read. We kicked off our tour of Northern Pennsylvania in Erie. We drove up in the afternoon, had dinner at a place called the Skunk & Goat, and then caught a lovely sunset over Lake Erie. We are staying at a little […]

Vacation. I Wish I’d Stayed (Not Really.)

Vacation Anxiety

It has been ten years since we took a vacation that is purely recreational. We’ve traveled, but it has always been tied to a conference or a work trip or so forth. That’s been fun and interesting, but not always restful or relaxing. Now that I’m away I wish I’d stayed This year, we made […]

Sarah, 38, Talks Transitioning in Her Rural Pennsylvania Community #AMPLIFY

Trans Woman Rural Pennsylvania

Students past and present, parents, and community members spoke out against his hateful rhetoric. It briefly went viral in the surrounding area and I received countless messages of support from strangers and friends alike until he deleted the post and backtracked his statements. Obviously, there are still many people who agree with his position in […]

Tanha, 36, is a Queer, Bisexual Woman in Erie #AMPLIFY

Name: Tanha Age: 36 County of Residence: Erie Pronouns: She, her How do you describe your identity? I am a queer, bisexual woman. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I first came out to friends. Thankfully they were very supportive. My husband was amazing, but that’s no surprise. He’s my […]

Tyler, 18, is a Pansexual Trans Man in Erie #AMPLIFY

Name: Ty Age: 18 County of Residence: I’ve lived in Erie, Edinboro, and will be moving to Warren, Pa. Pronouns: He/him/his How do you describe your identity? I am a transgender pansexual male. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? When I came out as a lesbian, I didn’t face any problems. […]

LGBTQ Things To Do in Western PA #AMPLIFY

LGBTQ Things To Do Pittsburgh

Welcome to the second edition of our new feature  – a signal boost to the efforts of our #AMPLIFY contributors to strengthen our communities. Our first post was well received! This list is not all-inclusive or comprehensive, but we’ll do our best to share the items our contributors ask us to promote. If you’d like […]

Caitlyn, 51, Lives Her Authentic Self as a Trans Woman in Erie #AMPLIFY

transgender Erie Pennsylvania

  Name: Caitlyn Strohmeyer Age: 51 County of Residence: Erie Preferred Pronouns: She/Her/Hers How do you describe your identity? Woman/transwoman/transfeminine Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? My first memory of wishing I had been born a girl was when I was around 5 years old. When I was in the first […]