Aging With Pride: Erie's Queer Senior Social Club
Welcoming, inclusive group staves off elder loneliness
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy declared a loneliness epidemic in the United States. In part due to repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic, but noting that loneliness and isolation was a serious public health issue well before that, Murthy states that "loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling – it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death." Combine the overarching issue of loneliness with individuals who are over the age of 55 and identify as LGBTQIA+, and that risk soars.
Clinical social worker Dale Allgeier knows this first-hand. Due to his continually running ad in Erie Gay News (a publication that has been serving the regional LGBTQIA+ community since 1992), he was often contacted by folks, particularly senior citizens, trying to find a social connection, a place for community, and to build friendships. "I started getting more and more calls specifically for resources for LGBTQIA+ seniors, people inquiring if there were groups or activities for them to join. And then I also began to hear, in my practice, people wanting to connect that hadn't really been a part of a community, or who had lost a partner and needed to reconnect to the community." These older folks, especially those who were new to the Erie area, didn't have an outlet for meeting new people and didn't feel comfortable going to bars, as they may have in the past, to connect. This was a light bulb moment for Allgeier.
In 2017, Aging With Pride (AWP) was born. "I asked a few key people to get together and it grew from there," Allgeier states. AWP is "an organization of senior LGBTQIA+ members and allies that develops and sponsors social, recreational, and educational events to promote healthy leisure activities, community, and an active, enjoyable lifestyle." And on a chilly spring afternoon, I met with four members of AWP (Dale Allgeier, Laurie Finch, Pete Genco and Stephen Siwiecki) at Werner Books and Coffee, a place which has become a gathering spot for many of their activities.
Recently, Aging with Pride hosted a similar group from Pittsburgh called the OWLS (Older Wiser Leaders) and started their day with lunch at the Wooden Ladle, a spot that has been extremely welcoming and accommodating. (Contributed photo)
The bulk of what AWP does is to organize social events that range from cultural to culinary, including educational opportunities and advocacy outreach work. The group meets biweekly as a board to discuss and plan their upcoming activities. These have recently included day trips to art museums including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Albright Knox in Buffalo, and the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. They also connect with similar groups in other cities and recently hosted a group from Pittsburgh called the OWLS (Older Wiser Leaders), guiding them to local restaurants, Presque Isle, and the Maritime Museum. AWP also recently hosted a movie night at the Erie Movie House, inviting members to a screening of the film Milk (a biopic of activist Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California).
They organize monthly dinner outings to area restaurants, always keeping it local. Pete Genco notes, "Everyone just pays their own way, but it's another way to get together. We've been to the Wooden Ladle, the BrewErie at Union Station, Oasis, Colony Pub – always a local place. And we've been very welcomed wherever we've gone. We're really looking forward to visiting Give a Crepe this month – the owner (Stephani Klassen, 40 Under 40 Class of 2023) is very supportive of our community."
Additionally, AWP has a monthly book club at Werner Books and Coffee. Organizer Stephen Siwiecki notes, "Our book club was one of the first things we started. Most of our selections have LGBTQIA+ themes, but it's not a requirement. That group has grown – we've had three or four new members each month." They also host a regular game night at the same venue.
But Aging With Pride isn't just fun and games, as it were. They also work hard to have visibility in the community as advocates to help inform, educate, and work towards the betterment of the whole queer community in Erie. The group has representation within the Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council, the Independent Council on Aging, and has a regular informational booth at Ryan Bizzarro's Senior Fair and Older Living Expo, hoping to connect with seniors who may not be aware of the group. They've hosted educational speakers who talk on relevant subjects like Social Security and Medicare. They have tables and information available at Pride on the Bay, the Pride Picnic, and Meadville Pride.
The group has organized to collect winter clothing and food for donation drives through Central Outreach and are currently organizing for a school supply drive which will happen in August. They also lend a hand when it comes to the distribution of the Erie Gay News. AWP holds monthly "folding parties" where members gather to collate and fold print copies of the publication. They also help with community distribution, stuffing envelopes or delivering copies to different locations, including to members of congress and local politicians. The May issue of Erie Gay News featured a voters guide as well as an article about "Honor Your LGBTQ Elder Day," which was on May 16.
A major project Aging with Pride has undertaken in recent years is an archival one: compiling photographs, clippings, brochures, and memorabilia that capture queer history in Erie and working with the Penn State Behrend Lilley Library to create a historical archive. (Contributed photo)
Additionally, the group is working on an archive of local LGBTQIA+ historical material. "Through the years, both Mike Mahler (publisher of Erie Gay News) and myself would experience people dropping off stuff that they didn't know what to do with and it related to the queer community," Allgeier states. Photographs, documents from early or now-defunct organizations, pamphlets, posters – a true archive of LGBTQIA+ information – is now being digitized and archived through the Lilley Library at Penn State Behrend.
"I think the oldest thing we have is from 1964 when drag shows were held at a now-razed facility, a banquet hall, in Harborcreek. It was once a year and was a big deal among drag circuits. I have some photos from that, some documents from different organizations from the past, some photos from house parties in the 1980s, different gatherings and picnics," Allgeier states.
Additionally, the group is starting an oral history project, akin to NPR's StoryCorps, where older queer folks record their stories, what they went through, and the work they've done to help younger generations. AWP member Laurie Finch states, "We fought for rights, for marriage equality, and we thought we had it taken care of for the younger generation but it looks like the fight needs to continue. We'll keep on helping them." Eventually these recorded stories will also be stored at the Lilley Library and will serve as a gift to future generations of LGBTQIA+ identifying folks who hope to connect with their local, cultural past.
Aging With Pride events are open for anyone who wants to join. Allgeier states that the suggested starting age is 55, "but we don't card." The group is also open to supportive friends, family members, and allies. They have a public events calendar on their website (agingwithprideerie.org), which is also listed monthly in Erie Gay News and posted on the community board at Werner Books and Coffee – anyone is welcome to join in anything at any time. Finch notes, "Everyone brings their own interests to the group, so we all experience new things – learning new things keeps us young." Genco concurs and adds, "Aging With Pride has a lot of positive energy. This group is very cohesive and all the people work well together. You know, a lot of seniors can feel lonely and isolated, I think this is a way of helping."
If you'd like to help support Aging With Pride, you can do so through their website where they sell merchandise and Pampered Chef products. Or to make a direct donation, email info@agingwithpride.org or call (814) 455-4009.
Erin Phillips can be reached at erin@eriereader.com
