Hello Friends and Community Members,

As the Rainbow Alliance begins the 2023 calendar year, we can’t help but reflect on this past year’s most attended event held by our community volunteer organization, Pridefest 2022. That scorching day in June of 2022 helped the Rainbow Alliance establish a renewed family-orientated space full of love and acceptance right in the heart of the Wyoming Valley. Without courageous, outgoing and supporting partners, city administrations, local police, fire and ems, DPW workers, businesses and volunteers in the community, we would have never changed the perception of what a local Pride Parade and festival should look like. Pridefest 2022 was a call to action and showed that everyone is welcome in our local communities. Ultimately, regardless of the heat, it was a day that continues to spark our passion for moving forward. 

In 2023 the Rainbow Alliance is experiencing some change with board development, strategic planning and renewed visions for the future. We are welcoming three new board members, saying goodbye to two outgoing board members, and creating a new vision for the year ahead by defining a new committee structure and addressing the community’s needs.

I personally want to thank our two outgoing members, who collectively have served as board members for the past 10+ years. Their leadership helped to redefine the new Rainbow Alliance and steer the organization forward with positive motion to help better serve our community, a motion that you have become accustomed to over the past few years. Additionally, it is with profound gratitude to share that I have been named 2023 Chair of the Rainbow Alliance for my final term with the Rainbow Alliance. This position requires love for NEPA, compassion and leadership for the LGBTQ+ community. Alongside the new and returning Board of Director members, I promise to continue in this role by making a difference and leaving a mark on the local LGBTQ+ community. 

We know that violence and discrimination born of intolerance and marginalization continue to take lives and create barriers to equity and opportunity for LGBTQ+ people and their families. Working together to sustain visibility and a sense of community throughout Luzerne, Lackawanna and Wyoming counties is one major way we can make an impact here at home. By having tremendous partners like each of you, our community and allies we will be able to move with pride, acceptance and hope. The Rainbow Alliance welcomes participation from a broad spectrum of groups and individuals invested in the LGBTQ+ community. If interested in serving on one of our active community volunteer committees please reach out to our chairs via email. You can also help by simply attending/sharing events that we share to one of our media social outlets with your families, friends and allies. For more information on getting involved please visit our website https://rainbowalliance.org/ or email nepapridefest@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Justin Correll, Chair

The post 2023 Letter to Community first appeared on Rainbow Alliance.

The post Pride Profiles | Jay Whymark first appeared on Rainbow Alliance.

But when Ryan first arrived in Northeastern Pennsylvania in his early 20s, he felt pressure to fit the mold as “straight Ryan” and prove himself as one of the youngest reporters at the station. Not because of his coworkers, who he says have always been open-minded and supportive; rather he feared defying the public’s expectations which became even more complicated after he met a girlfriend locally.

As things started to get real in their relationship, with questions of long-term prospects, it became overwhelming. Ultimately, he ended their relationship when she decided to move out of the area. But the whispers and inner rumblings that he was attracted to men were still there, as they had been his whole life. “Sometimes that inner voice just keeps getting louder and louder where you can’t tune it out anymore to the point where you’re like not only do I need to tune into it but I need to explore this because I feel like this is going to allow me to shine as the person I’m meant to be,” he says.

Ryan eventually started dating men in his mid-20s in a period that he describes as “reliving his adolescence,” first by traveling out of the area to Philadelphia and New York to avoid being seen. He worried what viewers would think if they saw him out to dinner with a guy locally, because then it would also become real. Ironically, while traveling to Philadelphia and New York, he met people from our area who were there for the same reasons. Major cities provided a unique opportunity to be around others who were the same as you without having to look over your shoulder and worry about who’s watching. He did eventually start dating in NEPA, going to restaurants where he knew the owner, places he felt comfortable and safe.

“But looking back now, it’s almost like I put that fear and that hesitation to be my authentic self on myself, it was never really anyone in this area,” he says. When Ryan came out, most people were super supportive. He said some people were like, “We knew but we love you anyway and we just want you to be happy.” 

He even used to host small hang outs at his apartment for his WNEP colleagues to meet guys that he was dating. His colleagues were a safe space and he trusted they weren’t going to tell anyone. He wants people to know “If you can be in someone’s inner circle, whether you’re in the gay community supporting them as an LGBTQ+ community member or you’re an ally, having that support goes along way.”

Ryan says he could never have imagined twelve years ago who he is today. He’s happily in a relationship for 8 years with his partner Matt, whom he loves, living life openly. “There’s something about when you own your truth and just really start letting your authentic light shine, you just feel this weight’s been lifted and you don’t feel like you have anything to hide.”

He chooses to approach his public persona and social media in much the same way, focusing on authenticity and connecting with people on a deeper level. “I can show that my life is messy, I can show it can be great, I can have sad times. And I think people appreciate when you’re just all in. When you’re a hot mess and you own it.”

Even though his supporters have always outnumbered his haters online, one criticism that stands out to him is when people say he’s just too much. And he has advice on that, “If people ever tell you, whether it’s you know, if you’re gay, whether it’s a family member or a friend who sees you just being all you and all in and says you’re just too much, tell them to go find less,” he says. “Because there’s other people who are going to be in your tribe, who are going to be in your corner, and guess what, then the haters, those aren’t your people. So if anyone tells you you’re way too much, no matter what it is, too much makeup, too many colorful clothes, tell them to go find less.”

He emphasizes, “We did not survive a pandemic to not live our full lives and be comfortable in our skin and celebrate who we are. Life is too short to let people push you back into a closet, to let people tell you it’s not okay to be who you are, so go throw your light everywhere.”

Written by Anthony Melf

The post Pride Profiles | Ryan Leckey first appeared on Rainbow Alliance.

The post Pride Profiles | Gabriel Gross first appeared on Rainbow Alliance.

Over the past year, we’ve witnessed incredible growth at the Rainbow Alliance as our team of volunteers worked to honor our mission to provide education, support, and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual) individuals and families throughout the Wyoming Valley, while working to advance fairness and equality. 

We kicked off the year by expanding our Board leadership, adding seven (7) new Board members whose unique perspective and passion for the queer community and Northeastern Pennsylvania helped shape four (4) committees: Community Relations, Education/Advocacy, Marketing, and Special Events. During this transition year, our Board met monthly and actively met outside of Board meetings to coordinate the business of each committee in service to the community. 

Trish Dickert-Nieves, our most tenured Board member, led the Community Relations Committee who responded to your messages received on social media and by email. The team actively replied to partnership requests and built relationships to leverage resources, such as working with Board Member Jessica Ives to further strengthen our relationship with PA 211 among other partners. Most significantly, the Community Relations Committee reestablished the Trans Social Discussion Group to provide a safe and nurturing space for transgender, gender non-confirming, and non-binary people to meet, learn, socialize, support each other, and take pride in their lives. Group Co-Moderators who made this possible include Community Leader Dee Culp and Board Member Kira Kinsman. 

The Education/Advocacy Committee, co-led by Board Members Arthur Breese and Dr. Vicki Sapp, made sure we didn’t waiver in speaking truth to power for the greater good. We proudly used our platform to voice full support of Scranton City Councilwoman Jessica Rothchild’s proposed legislation, and now law, to protect LGBTQ+ youth by prohibiting licensed mental health professionals from using conversion therapy when treating minors in the City of Scranton. In addition to voicing our support, we also released a list of self-identified allied clinicians and NEPA therapists, curated in partnership with Jessica McDonough, a Licensed Professional Counselor based in Scranton. 

We also organized Community Safe Zone Trainings including two sessions virtually in partnership with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Education Consortium (NEPDEC) during Pride month and another session in person this fall in partnership with the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce. The latter being the kick-off event for our new education arm R.A.I.N (Rainbow Alliance Institute of the Northeast). Through R.A.I.N, we’ll work with qualified instructors to coordinate education and training opportunities, e.g. Safe Zone and Ally workshops. More details coming soon!

The Marketing Committee, co-led by Board Members Holly Pilcavage and Sam O’Connell, spearheaded a rebranding of the organization and debuted a new logo, sharpening our focus where we’ve always been – in the Wyoming Valley. While not limited to one geographic area, our radius of services specifically includes Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties. Sam designed the new logo which features all of the colors of the Progress Pride Flag shining brightly above the Valley: black and brown stripes for inclusion and racial equity; the light blue, light pink and white representing trans and non-binary individuals, and the black stripe also representing those lost to HIV/AIDS and the stigma still surrounding those living with HIV today. 

The Marketing team also expanded our social media presence with active accounts now on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. They launched a new monthly newsletter, as managed and prepared by Board Member Jesse Macko. We added new pages on our website highlighting various activities including the BE KIND yard sign campaign, the Live Out Proud Poetry Contest, Rainbow Alliance Zine, and both Coming Out and Allyship resource pages with content by Jacob Kelley Queer Education. The Marketing Committee also worked in partnership with Coal Creative to produce Juicy with Jake, a new video series by Jacob Kelley Queer Education with topics covering sexuality and sexual health. You can watch episodes on our YouTube Channel. 

The Special Events Committee, led by Board Member Craig Lukatch, spearheaded our annual NEPA PrideFest, an event we’ve held for over 15 years and counting! This year, with the pandemic ongoing, we pivoted to a hybrid format including a video celebration with watch parties at local venues including Ole Tyme Charley’s in Plains, The V-Spot in Scranton, and Vesuvio’s in both Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton. We also held our annual Ms. and Mr. NEPA PrideFest Pageant, a local drag competition where performers use their art and voice to advocate and support the queer community. The pageant was livestreamed on Facebook in partnership with Park Multimedia. Special thanks to Trixy Valentine and Justice Twist-Valentine, the 2019-2020 Ms. and Mr. NEPA PrideFest title holders respectively, who made the competition possible and our reigning 2021 Ms. NEPA PrideFest Suga Avery Bottoms and Mr. NEPA PrideFest Xander Morgan Valentine who do us proud! 

Our Board took these strides under the guidance of our Executive Committee including Vice-Chair Justin Correll, Treasurer Amber Loomis, and Secretary Justin Brown– We are grateful for their support and leadership!

We also thank our Board Legal Counsel Sarah Borland who has been a constant presence and reliable support throughout the year, helping us face challenges thoughtfully and responsibly.  

None of our activities this year would have been possible without the support of our community, especially the many community members who make up our Committees– thank you!  

Stepping Down, Stepping Forward

On a personal note, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to step down from the Board of Directors at the end of December. After four years serving on the Board, two years as Vice-Chair and this past year as Chair, I’m deeply proud of all of the progress we made as an organization, especially during these past two years. As a team, we navigated the challenges brought on by the pandemic, turning a dark time into a period of growth and resilience. 

It has been a great honor to support my community, especially the queer community whom I love with my whole person. I would not be Anthony Melf if I wasn’t queer. I would not be the man I am today if I wasn’t gay. 

Visibility and representation matter greatly. I am proud to walk in the footsteps of previous generations of activists, especially during a year that marked the 40^th anniversary since the first 5 cases of what later became known as AIDS were officially reported. To know that in some small way, I could help dispel ignorance, end stigma, and create space for conversation fills my heart with Pride and joy.  

I’m excited for what comes next. I know the Rainbow Alliance will keeping moving forward in doing the work. I will continue to cheer them on and advocate with love and respect for the queer community. So let’s step forward together. 

Please remember you’re never alone. Keep fighting. Keep dreaming. You are enough as you are, you always have been. 

Much love,

Anthony Melf

Chair, Rainbow Alliance

The post 2021 — Rainbow Alliance End of Year Message first appeared on Rainbow Alliance.