Both Titus, who is openly transgender and uses they\/them pronouns, and the Erie County Democratic Party<\/a> have accused Brzezinski of deliberately misgendering Titus at a special June 9 meeting on Erie Events’ proposed $14 million bayfront market house project.<\/p>\n Erie City Councilman Ed Brzezinski.<\/p>\n During that meeting, Brzezinski at one point referred to Titus as “ma’am” towards the end of the meeting.<\/p>\n Previous coverage: Erie Dems want councilman’s public apology for misgendering colleague<\/a><\/p>\n Members of the public, many of them from Erie’s LGBTQ+ community, packed the Bagnoni Council Chambers in City Hall during City Council’s regular meeting June 17, which lasted more than four hours.<\/p>\n ‘Deliberate act of disrespect’<\/p>\n Dozens of citizens spoke during the public comment portion of council’s meeting.<\/p>\n Some reiterated calls for Brzezinski to apologize.<\/p>\n Others said he should resign.<\/p>\n Erie resident Savannah Wilson addresses members of Erie City Council on June 17, 2026 during a meeting in the Bagnoni Council Chambers at City Hall.<\/p>\n “In this country we have freedom of speech, but that does not mean that we have freedom from consequence,” Erie’s Savannah Wilson said. “The actions (of Brzezinski) last meeting is permission for discrimination.”<\/p>\n Rie Witherow, who also uses they\/them pronouns, said as a member of the transgender community “I am misgendered daily” and they consider most of those incidents simple mistakes.<\/p>\n However, Witherow said they don’t see Brzezinski’s June 9 comments in the same light.<\/p>\n “Let us be clear, this was a deliberate act of disrespect and intent to harm a trans member of our community,” Witherow said while also calling for Brzezinski to step down.\u00a0<\/p>\n If that does not happen, Witherow said, Brzezinski should be officially censured by City Council and\/or stripped of committee assignments.<\/p>\n Erie City Council President Tyler Titus.<\/p>\n According to the Pennsylvania Constitution, an elected official cannot be forced to resign simply by making comments that are deemed hateful; one must resign if he or she is convicted of an “infamous crime” such as forgery, perjury, embezzlement of public funds, bribery or like offenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n An elected official in Pennsylvania also must leave office if he or she pleads guilty or no contest to an infamous crime.<\/p>\n Brzezinski says little publicly<\/p>\n Brzezinski, during council’s committee reports at the end of the June 17 meeting, made mention of an upcoming Erie Events meeting. He did not address the slew of comments about June 9 or calls for him to step aside.<\/p>\n “That’s it. Thank you,” Brzezinski said.<\/p>\n From the dais, Councilwoman Jasmine Flores addressed many citizens’ assertion that Brzezinski’s fellow council members have failed to address his June 9 comment.<\/p>\n Erie City Councilwoman Jasmine Flores.<\/p>\n Flores, who served as City Council president in 2025, said that Titus, as president, called for order on June 9 after Brzezinski made his comments. Other council members must wait their turn to address issues as per the rules of council, she said.<\/p>\n “If any of us would have intervened, it would have been looked at as disrespectful for not allowing our president to do their job,” Flores said.<\/p>\n Titus, at the end of the meeting, told the audience and their colleagues: “Healing does not happen by pretending harm did not occur. Healing happens when we tell the truth about what happened, we take responsibility for our role in it, and we commit ourselves to building a better city.<\/p>\n “That is my hope for this council, that is my hope for this city, and despite everything that hope remains stronger than my anger,” Titus said.<\/p>\n Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@timesnews.com. Follow him on X at@ETNflowers<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Public condemns Erie councilman’s misgendering of colleague<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Erie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/aol_goerie_com_255\/1811f6a95131f576b32c0fe5e0dd416e.jpeg\"\/)
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