Central PA Pride Festival (PrideFest)

Crossroads Magazine was a bi-monthly local LGBTQ+ magazine created, edited, and published by Dr. Eric Selvey. The goal of Crossroads was to bring together the LGBTQ+ community of Central Pennsylvania by creating a space to showcase the efforts and talents of local LGBTQ+ organizations, people, and events, with all articles being voluntary contributions. Crossroads was published from June 1996 – October 1997.

In this Education & Gay/Lesbian Issues Issues:

• Gay Dollars! A look at this Summer's Gay and Lesbian Entrepreneurial Spirit
• Lynn Lavner Interview

Crossroads Magazine was a bi-monthly local LGBTQ+ magazine created, edited, and published by Dr. Eric Selvey. The goal of Crossroads was to bring together the LGBTQ+ community of Central Pennsylvania by creating a space to showcase the efforts and talents of local LGBTQ+ organizations, people, and events, with all articles being voluntary contributions. Crossroads was published from June 1996 – October 1997.

In this Pride '97 Issue:

• Exclusive! International Flim Star Ty Fox
• Pride '97
• Bobbie Carmitchell Unplugged

Crossroads Magazine was a bi-monthly local LGBTQ+ magazine created, edited, and published by Dr. Eric Selvey. The goal of Crossroads was to bring together the LGBTQ+ community of Central Pennsylvania by creating a space to showcase the efforts and talents of local LGBTQ+ organizations, people, and events, with all articles being voluntary contributions. Crossroads was published from June 1996 – October 1997.

In this National Coming Out Day Issue:

• The AIDS Quilt Returns to D.C. - Susquehanna Valley Names Highlights
• The Renaissance Man
• Organizational Spotlight - Bi-GLYAH
• Community Scrapbook

Crossroads Magazine was a bi-monthly local LGBTQ+ magazine created, edited, and published by Dr. Eric Selvey. The goal of Crossroads was to bring together the LGBTQ+ community of Central Pennsylvania by creating a space to showcase the efforts and talents of local LGBTQ+ organizations, people, and events, with all articles being voluntary contributions. Crossroads was published from June 1996 – October 1997.

This issue includes: 

• Special Report: Breast Cancer 1996 - The Other Community Health Concern
• A Tribute to a Legal Warrior along with Her Parting Words ''I've Had a Magical Life''
• Getting Orientation Into PA's Ethnic Intimidation Act - The Attempt to Stamp Out Hate Crimes Against PA's Sexual Minorities 
• Part Two of the Interview with MCC's Pastor O'Diam
• Community Resource Spotlight: Lily White & Company

This collection was donated anonymously by an individual associated with the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of the Spirit in Harrisburg, PA.

The Newspapers Clippings series documents issues such as same–sex marriage, the relationship between local churches and LGBTQ+ individuals, LGBTQ+ activism, and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals. The majority of newspaper clippings are from Central PA newspapers published between 1991 and 2009. The Lancaster Anti-Discrimination Law 1991 series contains photocopies of newspaper clippings that deal with a debate that took place in 1991 regarding a Lancaster City ordinance banning discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals.

This Central PA Pride Festival 1996 series contains documentation regarding the planning of Central PA Pride Festival 1996, and the Metropolitan Community Church of the Spirit series contains a program from a Celebration of Community event held at the MCC of the Spirit on March 21, 2004.

These materials contain artwork designed by Lawrence Valerio for LGBT events and organizations in Central PA, including Dignity of Central PA, a forum for human concerns, a place of seeking for greater self, knowledge, and wisdom, an affirmation of one's sexual orientation in faith, and personal ministry; the Open Air Festival, which was a precursor to what is known today as Central PA PrideFest; and the South Central AIDS Assistance Network (SCAAN) Caring a la Carte fundraiser, which was a local dinner held to raise funds to support the work of SCAAN and it’s support of the local HIV/AIDs positive community.

Cathy Nelson was born in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Staten Island, New York, at the age of two with her strict Italian-Swedish family. As a child, Cathy loved music and did well in school. She also participated in Catholic youth group retreats, where she first encountered anti-gay sentiment. Although she knew she was attracted to girls from an early age, Cathy did not act on these feelings until age 22, when she entered her first long-term relationship. Cathy worked as a teacher in Carlisle, PA, but stopped teaching after suffering a head injury that affected her speech. Currently, she does secretarial work for a friend and ally at Goldcrafter’s Corner. Cathy was involved with the Pride planning committee and sang with the Central Pennsylvania Women’s Chorus. In this interview, Cathy discusses the process of coming out to herself, her family, and her friends. She also describes the Harrisburg-area lesbian community in the early 1990s and the problems and successes of the Women’s Chorus throughout her years of involvement. Cathy also discusses the general acceptance of lesbians in mainstream culture, but condemns the exclusion of transgender issues from the LGBT community and the transphobia that she sees as a major issue of the day.

Dr. Eric Selvey was born and raised in Harrisburg, PA. He attended optometry school in Philadelphia, but returned to the Harrisburg area after graduating. In his interview he discusses his relationship with his mother and grandmother — and coming out to them in his younger days. He goes on to discuss his prolific activist work including his involvement with Lily White and Company, which raised thousands of dollars for local AIDS related organizations including SCAAN and other gay causes. Dr. Selvey worked on the Harrisburg Human Relations Commission, which fostered community relationships between the diverse Harrisburg populations. He was an active member of SCAAN, and also worked to create the local LGBT publication Crossroads. Dr. Selvey explains that he is most proud of his work on developing Harrisburg’s Pride Festival, and his instrumental role in organizing the first Fall Achievement Benefit (FAB) in Harrisburg. The interview concludes with a discussion of changes the LGBT community has encountered and what challenges they continue to face.

Cindy Lou Mitzel was born in April of 1942 in York County, Pennsylvania as the youngest in a big family. Growing up, Cindy knew that she felt attraction towards women but married a man just after graduating from high school and had three children. Throughout her life, Cindy has been involved in the National Organization for Women [NOW], the Lavender Letter, the Lesbian Alliance, and the Central Pennsylvania Women’s Chorus, among other women’s and gay rights activist organizations. Cindy remained married for many years before separating from her husband and, after the age of 40, began dating other women. In this interview, Cindy discusses coming out to her adult children, her involvement in the passage of a gay rights ordinance in York city, and how LGBT-identified individuals practiced safety while community building. She also mentions the importance of coming out, her experiences at the Metropolitan Community Church, and her attendance of the first Central Pennsylvania Pride Festival. Today, Cindy is pleased with the recent affirmative gay marriage laws, which were once thought “impossible” for the LGBT community.

The interview performed on March 23, 2015 is with Oral History project volunteer, Michele Metcalf and long-time LGBT activist and self-identified gay man, Phil Wenger. Wenger was born and raised in Ethiopia in a large Mennonite missionary family and returned to his family’s roots in Central Pennsylvania when he was 12. In this interview, he speaks about his coming out, his advocacy with Pride and the Harrisburg LGBT Center, and with the Lancaster AIDS Project. He goes on to speak about how all of these factors have affected his life, life path, and relationships.

Mark Stoner, born in 1959, grew up and currently lives in Lancaster, where he has worked as a graphic designer for the past 30 years. He came out as gay early in his college years at Penn State University and thereafter became involved in Lancaster’s gay community, both socially and politically. He was among the founders of the Pink Triangle Coalition and worked extensively with the organization for years. Additionally, he has been involved with establishing the first Central Pennsylvania Pride and Lancaster Pride, the Lancaster-area gay publication Inqueery, and the Lancaster City Human Relations Commission’s protections against anti-LGBT discrimination. In this interview, he discusses gay life from the late ‘70s to the present and its influence on his personal life, including his experiences coming out in a supportive environment, his personal relationship with religion over the years, the impact of the emergence of AIDS in the ‘80s, and political efforts to end anti-LGBT discrimination in Lancaster.

Pink Triangle Coalition (PTC) was created in 1991 as a non-religious, LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy and social organization in the City of Lancaster. The Coalition was instrumental in getting sexual orientation non-discrimination protection added to the human relations ordinance in 1991, and in creating a new city Human Relations Commission to enforce the ordinance in 2001. The Coalition dissolved shortly thereafter.

The Lancaster Inqueery was the PTC newsletter. Noteworthy articles in this issue are: 

• ''Names Project Quilt Coming!''
• ''Thanks and No Thanks''
• Both Letters to the Ed

President Reports from Lily White & Company for 1992 to 1993 season. 

Created by Lorraine Kujawa, Cindy Mitzel, Mary Nancarrow, and several others in 1983, the Lavender Letter Newsletter was a calendar of events for, by, and about lesbian women to create community in the Central Pennsylvania area. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s.

Created by Lorraine Kujawa, Cindy Mitzel, Mary Nancarrow, and several others in 1983, the Lavender Letter Newsletter was a calendar of events for, by, and about lesbian women to create community in the Central Pennsylvania area. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s.

Created by Lorraine Kujawa, Cindy Mitzel, Mary Nancarrow, and several others in 1983, the Lavender Letter Newsletter was a calendar of events for, by, and about lesbian women to create community in the Central Pennsylvania area. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s.

Created by Lorraine Kujawa, Cindy Mitzel, Mary Nancarrow, and several others in 1983, the Lavender Letter Newsletter was a calendar of events for, by, and about lesbian women to create community in the Central Pennsylvania area. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s.

This issue has a section that discuss domestic violence in LGBT Relationships.

Created by Lorraine Kujawa, Cindy Mitzel, Mary Nancarrow, and several others in 1983, the Lavender Letter Newsletter was a calendar of events for, by, and about lesbian women to create community in the Central Pennsylvania area. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s.

Created by Lorraine Kujawa, Cindy Mitzel, Mary Nancarrow, and several others in 1983, the Lavender Letter Newsletter was a calendar of events for, by, and about lesbian women to create community in the Central Pennsylvania area. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s.

This issue has the section “Money Talk” where investing money is discussed.

Created by Lorraine Kujawa, Cindy Mitzel, Mary Nancarrow, and several others in 1983, the Lavender Letter Newsletter was a calendar of events for, by, and about lesbian women to create community in the Central Pennsylvania area. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s.

Created by Lorraine Kujawa, Cindy Mitzel, Mary Nancarrow, and several others in 1983, the Lavender Letter Newsletter was a calendar of events for, by, and about lesbian women to create community in the Central Pennsylvania area. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s.

Created by Lorraine Kujawa, Cindy Mitzel, Mary Nancarrow, and several others in 1983, the Lavender Letter Newsletter was a calendar of events for, by, and about lesbian women to create community in the Central Pennsylvania area. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s.

Created by Lorraine Kujawa, Cindy Mitzel, Mary Nancarrow, and several others in 1983, the Lavender Letter Newsletter was a calendar of events for, by, and about lesbian women to create community in the Central Pennsylvania area. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s.

Dan Miller was born in 1956 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He earned his BA in Accounting from Elizabethtown College, later going on to get his MA in Finance from Penn State University. In October of 1990, after working for Donald L. DeMuth Professional Management Consultants as an accountant, Dan was fired for being gay. After the trial process, which Miller did not win, he continued to be an activist within the LGBT Community of Central PA. Miller ran for mayor of Harrisburg, PA in 2013. While he was not successful in that election, he has held numerous positions of leadership through the LGBT Community of Central PA.