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NEWS & EVENTS
At the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County, we are committed to creating a supportive community where everyone can thrive. Our blog, the Gay St. Gayzette, is your hub for LGBTQ+ stories, insights, and community highlights. From event recaps to personal perspectives, it’s where our voices come together.
Whether you're interested in upcoming events or promoting visibility, equality, and pride across Chester County, you’ll find it here with us. Join us in championing diversity and equality for all.
EVENT CALENDAR
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
28
29
30
1
6:30 PM
Gayme Night
2
3
4
12:00 PM
OutFest
5
6
5:30 PM
OutFest Happy Hour
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
6:30 PM
Peer Support Group
14
15
6:30 PM
Gayme Night
16
17
18
19
20
1:00 PM
Chester County LGBTQ+ and Allied Business Network Meet-Up
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
7:00 PM
Kennett Area Adult LGBTQIA+ Peer Support Group
28
29
6:30 PM
Gayme Night
30
31
1
2
3
9:15 AM
LGBTQIA+ Business Networking Meetup
4
5
6
7
8
Multiple Dates
Multiple Dates
Multiple Dates
Multiple Dates
GAY ST. GAZETTE BLOG
Visibility Is Not the Same as Belonging
In January 2027, the LGBT Equality Alliance will move our office and program space to 748 Springdale Drive in Exton.
This is a big milestone for our community, and we’re excited to share it. Years of people building programs, volunteering, and helping others find their way to the Alliance have brought us to a point where we need more room. There is a lot to celebrate in that growth.
10 hours ago
Election Day is November 3. Let’s get ready together.
October 27, 2026 Election Day is November 3. Let’s get ready together. Election Day is one week away, and we want everyone in our community to have clear information about how to vote—and somewhere to connect on the day itself. Take a few minutes today to check your information, decide when you’ll vote, and arrange any transportation or support you need. Check in with a friend or neighbor, too. Sometimes having someone to make a plan with makes the whole process feel more man
2 days ago
Coming Out in Chester County in 2026
we asked people in our Chester County community to share their coming-out experiences. We wanted to hear what made it easier, what felt complicated, and where they found people they could be themselves around. Their responses remind us how personal this process is. Even when we recognize something of ourselves in someone else’s story, we each have our own relationships, hopes, and reasons for deciding what to share.
Sep 29
OutFest is October 4 : Queer art, poetry, practical resources
Finding LGBTQIA+ community close to home can make a real difference. Sometimes it starts with a conversation, seeing your experience reflected in someone’s art, or spending an afternoon around people you can be yourself with. That’s what OutFest is about. Join the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County for queer and trans art, poetry, hands-on workshops, community resources, a clothing swap, and an amateur drag show. Whether you’re already connected, coming for the fi
Sep 26
Welcoming Sean Williams as Our New President
This leadership transition also gives us the opportunity to recognize someone who has played an enormous role in bringing the Alliance to where it is today.
This leadership transition also gives us the opportunity to recognize someone who has played an enormous role in bringing the Alliance to where it is today.
After eight years of service on the Board of Directors, including five years as President, Carrie is stepping down from the Board.
Sep 17
Coming Out Requires Somewhere to Land
Coming out is rarely one moment—and it is never only about courage. As we look ahead to OutFest and National Coming Out Day, our September blog explores the safety, support, and joy that shape whether someone feels able to be known. Because coming out is personal, but making sure people have somewhere to land belongs to all of us.
Aug 27
More Than a Transaction: Why LGBTQIA+ Businesses Matter in Chester County
LGBTQIA+-owned businesses do everything small businesses have always done for local communities — create jobs, mentor young people, sponsor Little League teams, keep Main Streets vibrant — while often carrying an added responsibility: creating spaces where people feel seen.
Jul 29
Our Next Chapter: Expanding Access Across Chester County
The LGBT Equality Alliance is preparing for an important and exciting transition, and we want to share this news with care, clarity, and intention: we are planning to relocate our program space and office early in the new year to a larger, more central location within Chester County.
Jul 21
None of Us Stand Alone: Pride, Community, and the Story of the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County
Every June, rainbow flags appear in windows, businesses hang banners of support, and communities gather to celebrate Pride. For many, Pride is a festival. For others, it is a protest. In truth, it has always been both. Pride exists because LGBTQIA+ people refused to disappear. It exists because generations before us fought for the right to live openly, love authentically, and build community in a world that often told them they did not belong. At the LGBT Equality Alliance of
Jun 1
Love is Love Fundraiser Recap
This year’s Love Is Love Gala was rooted in a simple idea—one that echoes Dan Savage’s reminder that when things feel heavy, when the world asks us to shrink or disappear, we cry, we rage… and then we dance, because it is the dance we are fighting for.
And that is exactly what our community did.
Mar 5
Black LGBTQIA+ History Is Foundational to the LGBTQIA+ Rights Movement
Black LGBTQIA+ history is often presented as a sidebar — a short list of influential figures, a cultural reference, or a commemorative moment attached to broader movement timelines. That framing is incomplete. It overlooks the reality that Black queer and trans communities have helped shape the political frameworks, organizing strategies, and systems of care that made LGBTQIA+ rights movements possible in the first place. This history is not about later inclusion. It is about
Feb 5
You Make This Community Possible: Why Your Support Matters Now More Than Ever
Every time you show up.Every dollar you donate.Every person you refer.You keep this community alive.And as we move into our winter fundraising season, your support becomes even more essential. Winter giving sustains the programs that carry our community through the entire year. Here’s what your generosity makes possible:
Jan 17
A Look Back at 2025
2025 started out as a really terrifying time for a lot of us. As an organization, we had to be very intentional about where we put our time, energy, and limited resources. We talked a lot about what we could provide that would make the biggest impact for our community, and we always came back to the same answer: creating in-person spaces where people could gather, connect, and support each other in real time.
Dec 16, 2025
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Each year, thousands gather across the U.S. to mourn transgender lives lost to violence during Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR).
Nov 15, 2025
From Fear to Fairness: Chester County’s Nondiscrimination Ordinance and the Echoes of the Lavender Scare
On September 24, 2025, amongst a packed, standing-room only meeting room, Chester County, Pennsylvania made history. With a 2–1 vote, the Board of Commissioners passed Ordinance 2025-03, establishing a countywide Human Relations Commission and enacting comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for residents across employment, housing, and public accommodations. This landmark move not only affirms the dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals and other minoritized and marginalized group
Oct 14, 2025
Why Access to Gender-Affirming Care and Crisis Support for LGBTQIA+ Youth Matters—And How You Can Help
At the Equality Alliance, we believe everyone deserves to feel safe, valued, and supported in their own community. That includes making sure LGBTQIA+ youth—especially trans and nonbinary young people—can access care that affirms who they are and protects their mental health. Right now, that safety net is under threat. The recent decision by the Trump administration to shut down the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program by July 17, 2025, w
Jul 24, 2025
Pride Was Never a Product
LGBT Equality Alliance’s board president spoke at Indivisible Chester County’s No Kings rally in West Chester on June 14, 2025. Around...
Jun 15, 2025
8th Annual Chester County PrideFest Returns to Phoenixville
LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County is proud to announce this year’s PrideFest celebration, to be held on June 7, 2025, on Bridge...
May 16, 2025
Chester County Pridefest 2025
Get ready for the most exhilarating event of the year: Chester County's PrideFest! Hosted by the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County, this vibrant celebration of love, diversity, and community is not to be missed.
May 6, 2025
Comitta, LGBT Equality Alliance Announce Mental Health Programs
The LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County will offer mental health programs, workshops, and support groups thanks to a state...
Apr 18, 2025
We're So Excited
On February 21, the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County hosted its highly anticipated Love is Love Gala at the Desmond in Malvern....
Mar 15, 2025
Advocacy Committee Kicks Off the Year with a Strong Start
The Advocacy Committee had a highly productive first meeting in January, with 20 engaged participants joining the discussion. Together,...
Feb 15, 2025
The LGBTea of Chester County: Community Partner Award
Next month on February 21st, The LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County (LGBTea) is hosting its annual gala, The Disco Ball: Boogie and...
Jan 14, 2025
LGBT Equality Alliance: 2024 Year in Review
As 2024 comes to a close, we reflect on an incredible year of growth, connection, and progress for the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County. This year has been one of our most impactful yet, thanks to the dedication and passion of our community members, supporters, and volunteers. Here are some highlights from this transformative year: Major Milestones Achieved Fundraising: With the support of our generous donors, successful fundraising campaigns, and events, we raised ov
Dec 14, 2024
Transgender Awareness Week
We are not a topic for debate or some headline in the news, we are more… We are vital members of the communities where we live and work....
Nov 16, 2024
Our statement about United Sports on October 31, 2024
“Make America Healthy Again: Save Women’s Sports” event being hosted by United Sports in Downingtown: This event is anti-trans propaganda...
Nov 9, 2024
The Beauty of Two Spirit
Though the term has only been in use since the nineties, the concept of the Two Spirit has been an aspect of many Indigenous cultures for...
Oct 14, 2024
Every Vote Matters: What’s at Stake for the LGBTQ+ Community this November
The upcoming November election holds significant implications for LGBTQ+ individuals nationally, in Pennsylvania and in Chester County....
Sep 14, 2024
The 19th Amendment: A Complex History and the Ongoing Fight for Equality
A LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT August 18, 1920, marks a pivotal moment in American history: the ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting...
Jul 31, 2024
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