White matchbok from Club 1031 in Harrisburg, PA.
White and blue matchbooks from the Neptune's Lounge in Harrisburg, PA.
Three matchbooks from Stallions in Harrisburg, PA, two silver, one black. Both the black and silver matchbooks are identical except for the colors.
A black matchbook with silver text from Stonewall in Allentown, Pa.
A white matchbox from The Cartwheel Night Club & Restaurant in New Hope, Pa.
Two handmade, black leather spats covered in metal studs created by Thomas Pfeiffer for Pennsman Inc.
Wooden nickeles from the Neptune's Lounge in Harrisburg, PA.
A black string bolo tie, with a silver, blue and gold clasp with the Pennsmen Inc. logo.
Pin crated for the Pennsman Inc.
This collection contains materials from the Harrisburg Men’s Chorus, and the 1989 and 1990 Unity Festivals, precursors to the Central PA Pride Fest. Unity Festival materials include planning documents, advertisements, and letters for Unity Festival 1990, which were originally stored together in the folder which is housed in the first folder in this collection. There are also photographs from Unity Festival 1989 and 1990. Harrisburg Men’s Chorus materials include programs from performances. There are also Artifacts which include one Harrisburg Men’s Chorus T-shirt and four Unity Festival T-shirts, which are a mixture of staff and spectator versions.
Flyer for the annual Reading Spring Picnic.
The Harrisburg Hustler's volleyball team received this Charm City Invitational Baltimore (MD) trophy in 1987.
The Pennsmen is a leather and Levi men's group in Central Pa. This item is a round, metal belt buckle with the Pennsmen logo on the front. The Logo consists of a sword pointing into the Harrisburg Capital Dome, cross by two arrows, which are chained together at the bottom, with "Pennsmen" arching over where all three cross.
This trophy was received by the Harrisburg Hustlers volleyball team. It is labelled as the L.P. Rec. "B" Division League 2nd place trophy for 1983-84.
Lindsay Snowden was born in Pittsburgh on March 15, 1976. Lindsay worked a bunch of odd jobs and has had an entrepreneurial spirit since a young age. Lindsay joined the military when sirb was 17. Lindsay realized after moving to Harrisburg that sirb would not be welcome in the military due to sirb’s sexuality. Coming out to sirb’s family was easy because sirb grew up with gay family members. Lindsay has worked on my projects in the area like forming the first all black drag king troupe in Central Pennsylvania, House of Game; publishing a magazine called Studs Magazine; and running a female football team. Lindsay talks about sirb’s experience with sirb’s drag troupe and how difficult it is to get booked as an all black group in Central Pennsylvania. Lindsay talks about sirb’s evolving gender identity, the intersections of sirb’s identity, and the importance of family.
Founded in 1968 in California, the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) began as a Christian outreach to meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. MCC Harrisburg (later renamed MCC of the Spirit) and MCC Lancaster (later renamed MCC Vision of Hope) were two local parishes in the Central PA Area.
The Freedom Newsletter was a joint publication of MCC Harrisburg and MCC Lancaster. It contains news from both a parishes and a calendar of events.
The 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 Prom event was jointly sponsord by PTC, Franklin and Marshall College's LGB's and Allies, and Millersville College's Allies.
Invitation for a fundraiser event to support March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, 1993.
Pink Triangle Coalition 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.
Flyer created for Pink Triangle Coalition's Harvest Fest.
Pink Triangle Coalition 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.
This flyer was created for Pink Triangle's Youth Group Picnic.
Marths ''Marty'' Tornblom was born in Utah and was raised in the greater Salt Lake City area as a member of the Mormon Church. She decided to get a degree in education, which led her to teaching. She moved with her family to Harrisburg in 1980, and that began her involvement in the local community and her work around HIV/AIDS. Tornblom started off as a volunteer in the South Central AIDS Assistance Network (SCAAN) in their Buddy Program, which paired a volunteer up with someone who had HIV/AIDS to be their support when needed. She later worked as the Prevention Educator for the organization.
This collection covers materials related to Tornblom's time with the South Central AIDS Alliance Network (SCAAN).
Opened in 1966 in the small town of Spring Grove, PA, Altland’s Ranch was the first official LGBTQ+ bar in the York area, and was the longest running LGBTQ+ bar in the county. Altland’s Ranch was abspace for the LGBTQ+ community to make their own. It was known for hosting drag balls, discos, and particularly Halloween parties.
Altland’s Ranch became more than just a party space, it was also a space for LGBTQ+ community groups to use for programs and became a type of community center for the LGBTQ+ community in the York area. Altland’s Ranch closed in 2016.
Founded in December of 1974, the Gay Coordinating Society of Berks County, Reading, PA (GCS Berks) was a LGBTQ+ activist organization in the Berks County area and a fundamental part of the Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus. The newsletter was a way to inform members and community members about LGBTQ+ issues.
Noteworthy in this issue:
Maria DiFava was born in Lebanon County, PA in 1953. She graduated from high school and attended nursing school and ultimately became an EMT volunteer. She later worked as a mail carrier for the US Postal Service. Marie married and had three children with her husband, whom she later divorced.
When she came out, DiFava started to look for gay organizations to join in her area. After travelling throughout Central PA, DiFava became frustrated at the lack of a lesbian community in Lebanon, thus the Lebanon County Lesbians organization was formed. The group met in DiFava’s home starting in June of 1997, and for the next few years, she hosted meetings in her home until she was able to have help planning events and meetings. DiFava advertised through Lebanon County initially, but eventually turned toward the entirety of Central PA.
