Dearest Community Members,
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 40th 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