Michael Mahler and Deborah Spilko
Recorded
August 8, 2009
38:52 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
MBX005654
Description
Deborah Spilko interviews her colleague and friend, Michae Mahler about being a gay activist in Erie, PA.Subject Log / Time Code
Michael is a long time gay activist in Erie, PA.
Michael connected with men on surrounding or nearby cities but had trouble finding gay men in Erie where he lived. He began to go to a local gay bar called Lizzy Borden’s.
Michael considered starting a groups for gay men in Erie but then decided to see what groups might already be in the city.
Michael came out publicly as a gay man in Erie when he spoke on a local news program about the murder of another gay man named Donald Kremer.
Michael also talks about the first time a GLBT float appeared in a public parade. It was for the Erie Bicentennial. The float was vandalized the night before but Michael was impressed with the number of people who came out to repair it in time for the parade.
Participants
- Michael Mahler
- Deborah Spilko
Venue / Recording Kit
Tier
Partnership
Partnership Type
OutreachKeywords
- anecdotes (humorous but true stories)
- Buffalo
- chat rooms
- cohorts (groups of friends)
- Donald Kremer
- Down Syndrome
- Erie Community Planning Committee
- Erie Gay News
- gay
- GLBT
- Gun
- hate crimes
- Influential People
- kidnapped
- League of Gay Voters
- Lizzy Borden’s
- memories of former times
- memories of growing up
- North Hampton
- pagan
- Parade
- personal experiences
- political beliefs and practices
- religious beliefs and practices
- Rochester
- Sexual orientation
- social beliefs and practices
- Society for Creative Anachronism
- Spouse