The vibrancy of pride flags conceals a bleak reality. For all the progress made in recent years to advance the LGBTQ+ community, many people, including those in the Erie region, face barriers to well-being—in their personal lives, health care, employment, housing, and education.

Many LGBTQ+ individuals still struggle to be recognized—to be safe and accepted. Loneliness, depression, and self-harm are common. Food insecurity, homelessness, and a constant fear of instability, particularly for youth, are a reality for many LGBTQ+ people in the Erie region.

A Shared Response

If life is, in fact, better today for some members of the LGBTQ+ community, that is in large part because of past generations of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies whose advocacy and generosity paved the way.

Where do we go from here? How do we help today’s LGBTQ+ youth and adults? In the Erie region, the LGBT Fund represents a path forward. Through the Fund, a new contingent of advocates and allies, supporters and friends, is helping to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals in our area.

Support The Fund

There are a number of ways to support the LGBT Fund—by adding to any of our grantmaking or scholarship funds; by establishing a fund of your own having a mission aligned with that of the LGBT Fund, or by making the LGBT Fund part of your legacy. If you’re interested in any of these possibilities, contact Olivia Burgess at the Erie Community Foundation.

If you’d like to make a contribution now, you can give to our LGBT Community Endowment here online.