LGBT History Project

Date: 1993

This collection contains citizen correspondence requesting that the inclusion of “sexual orientation” in the City of York’s non-discrimination ordinance be put on the ballot for a public referendum. The correspondence dates from February 1993 and is composed in large part of form letters. The City of York passed an anti-discrimination ordinance protecting sexual orientation in 1998.

Collection: LGBT-078 - York City Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

Topics: York Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

Organizations:

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-078 York City Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Collection

Date: circa 1985, 1991

This collection contains a 1991 Gay and Lesbian Guide to Central PA from the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of Harrisburg (GLSH) and a Gay Trivia Game. O’Leary also donated a run of The Advocate magazine, from 1985 – 1991, which is housed in the Dickinson College Archives and Special Collection periodicals.

Collection: LGBT-016 - O'Leary

Topics:

Organizations: Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of Harrisburg

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-016 Gary O'Leary Collection

Date: 1946, 1970 - 2017

John Barns was born in Perry County, PA. He graduated from Greenwood High School in 1960 and then joined the Pennsylvania National Guard during the Vietnam War, where he was in the armored tank division. After discharging from the military, Barns worked for the State in the Department of Labor and Industry and The Department of Health. He was a state employee for 30 years. Barns was a member of Dignity/Central PA, a Roman Catholic based organization that was a place for LGBTQ+ community members of any religious background to be together in community; and a part of the Gay Switchboard of Harrisburg, a telephone service that gave information, referrals, and supportive counseling to members of the local LGBTQ+ community.

This collection contains 6 series: Newspaper and Magazine Clippings; Dignity/Central PA; Cards and Postcards; Montreal, Quebec, Canada LGBTQ+ Information; Miscellaneous; and Artifacts.

Collection: LGBT-015 - Barns

Topics: HIV/AIDs

Organizations: Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of Harrisburg, Dignity/Central PA

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-015 John R. Barns Collection

Date: circa 1980

This collection contains two bar passes to The Allegro Bar that was located in Baltimore, MD.

Collection: LGBT-073 - Zinicola

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-073 Stephen Zinicola Collection

Date: 2011

This collection contains the Presidential Proclamation for Pride Month 2011 by Barack Obama.

Collection: LGBT-072 - Anonymous

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-072 Anonymous Collection

Date: 2000 - 2001

This collection contains two AIDSWalk T-shirts from 2000 and 2001.

Collection: LGBT-070 - Bookwalter Jr.

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-070 John H. Bookwalter Jr. Collection

Date: 1996 - 1997, undated

Dr. Eric Selvey was born and raised in Harrisburg, PA. He attended optometry school in Philadelphia and returned to the Harrisburg area after graduating.

Selvey was a member of Lily White and Company drag troupe, which raised thousands of dollars for local AIDS related organizations including South Central AIDS Assistance Network (SCAAN), of which he was also an active member. He worked on the Harrisburg Human Relations Commission, which fostered community relationships between the diverse Harrisburg populations; helped to develop Harrisburg’s Pride Festival; and was a part organizing the first Fall Achievement Benefit (FAB) fundraising event in Harrisburg. He was also the creator, editor, and publisher of the local LGBTQ+ publication Crossroads Magazine.

Collection: LGBT-013 - Selvey

Topics:

Organizations: Lily White & Company, Crossroads Magazine

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-013 Eric Selvey Collection

Date: 1991 - 2003

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.

Collection: LGBT-012 - Anonymous

Topics: Lancaster Antidiscrimination Law

Organizations: MCC of the Spirit

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-012 Anonymous Collection

Date: 1968 - 2015; Bulk Dates 1970 - 1980

Joseph W. Burns started to donate these materials in 2013 as the first contribution of historical documents to the LGBT Center of Central PA History Project. These materials reflect his involvement in, and document, LGBTQ+ activism in Central PA.

This collection contains materials from 1968 – 2015, but the bulk of the materials focus on LGBTQ+ activism from 1970 – 1980. There are 14 Series which highlight LGBTQ+ activist organizations, legislation, publications, photographs, personal/miscellaneous items, media, and artifacts, as well as Subject Files regarding people, organizations, or issues related to LGBTQ+ activism. Materials include documents, photos, a cassette tape, and multiple artifacts.

Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns

Topics: PA Senate Bill 531, PA Senate Bill 83

Organizations: Lehigh Valley Citizens Concerned for a Better Community (CCBC), Gay Coordinating Society of Berks County, Reading (GCS Berks), PA Governor's Council for Sexual Minorities, Lehigh Valley Homophile Organization (Le-Hi-Ho), PA Lesbian/Gay Support Network (PALGSN), PA Rural Gay Caucus, National Gay Task Force (NGTF), National Organization for Women (N.O.W.)

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection , Appendix: Bibliography of books donated by Joseph W. Burns

Date: 1972 - 2013

These materials document several LGBTQ+ bars that operated in the Harrisburg, PA area, namely The Archives Nightclub and Restaurant (1983), La Rose Rouge (1978-1992), Neptune’s Lounge (1972), and the Shadows bar (1980-1984). These items take the form of bar memorabilia, photographs, and video recordings.

This collection also includes trophies, plaques, and buttons highlighting the Harrisburg Hustler’s volleyball team, which Larry Wilson sponsored from 1981-1987. In addition, it includes an anniversary pin from The Pennsmen Inc., an organization for LGBTQ+ individuals with an interest in the leather/rubber/fetish lifestyle and was founded in South Central PA in 1977, and a scrapbook featuring Pennsmen events.

The beginning pages of the Pennsman scrapbook also includes pictures of Benedict A. “Wesley” Trautwein, a drag performer known as Francis Parker. Wesley was a part of the The Jewel Box Revue, a troupe of drag performers who traveled around the country from 1939 to 1969, which made many stops in Pennsylvania. After departing the Revue, he moved back to Harrisburg and continued preforming at local bars and clubs, such as The Neptune Lounge.

Collection: LGBT-010 - Wilson

Topics:

Organizations: Pennsmen Inc., The Jewel Box Revue, Harrisburg Hustlers Volleyball Team

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-010 Larry Wilson Collection

Date: 1983 - 2006

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 collection contains a history of the Lavender Letter by Lorraine Kujawa and copies of the Lavender Letter from 1983 to 2006. It was two separate donations combined into one collection for easier access and use.

Collection: LGBT-009 - Lavender Letter

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-009 Lavender Letter Collection

Date: circa 1985

HBG (Harrisburg) Hustlers #3 white tank top.

Collection: LGBT-010 - Wilson

Topics:

Organizations: Harrisburg Hustlers Volleyball Team

View Item:

Date: circa 1985

Harrisburg Hustlers Captain #3 silver and black stripe t-Shirt.

Collection: LGBT-010 - Wilson

Topics:

Organizations: Harrisburg Hustlers Volleyball Team

View Item:

Date: 1986

Long sleeved shirt from volleyball competition Charm City Invitational '86.

Collection: LGBT-010 - Wilson

Topics:

Organizations: Harrisburg Hustlers Volleyball Team

View Item:

Date: 1983

The Archives Nightclub and Resturant matchbook.

Collection: LGBT-010 - Wilson

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item:

Date: 1960s to 1980s

This collection documents the earliest known organizational history of the LGBTQ+ community in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley region. The Lehigh Valley Homophile Organization ("Le-Hi-Ho") held its first meeting on June 22, 1969. The goal of the group was to provide social opportunities outside of the bar scene for members of the LGBT community in the Lehigh Valley. The society published monthly newsletters featuring the information relevant to the community, including social events and field trips, activist opportunities and reporting on the national and regional gay liberation movement, and eventually HIV and AIDS. Thanks in part to Le-Hi-Ho’s success and the establishment of other organizations to support the LGBTQ+ community, the organization faltered and disbanded by the early 1990s. The newsletter was continued as the “Lambda Valley Monthly” beginning in the fall of 1985.

The items in this collection are shared through a collaboration between the Lehigh Valley LGBT Community Archive and the LGBT Center of Central PA History Project. For more information on Lehigh Valley LGBT Community Archives, visit  https://archive.org/details/early-lehigh-valley-lgbt   

Materials include newsletters, meeting minutes, press releases, and promotional materials. View the collection on the Internet Archive.

Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns

Topics:

Organizations: Lehigh Valley Homophile Organization (Le-Hi-Ho)

View Item:

Date: undated

Amanda Porter [now known as Amanda Hecker] was born in 1950 in Lansdale, PA and was assigned male at birth. She attended Grove City College, receiving her BA in History, and enrolled in ROTC. After college, she joined the Air Force, and after being discharged attended Temple University, receiving her MA in Industrial Arts Education. Porter is married and has three children.

Porter is a transgender rights educator and activist. She was the Vice President of the Lehigh Valley chapter of the Renaissance Transgender Association, where she gave transgender education presentations on Transgender Equality, Gender Dysmorphia, and Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace, and has spoken at multiple Keystone Conferences. Porter’s goal is to make transgender people visible everywhere.

Porter lives in the Lehigh Valley area today.

Collection: LGBT-069 - Porter

Topics: Transgender Experiences

Organizations: Renaissance Transgender Association Lehigh Valley Chapter

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-069 Amanda Porter Collection

Date: 1940 - 2017

Joseph F. Christ was born in 1927 with Klinefelter Syndrome and assigned male at birth. The seventh of eight children, Christ was placed into an orphanage during the Great Depression until the age 18. Two weeks later, Christ was drafted into the Army and fast-tracked to work in a secret German Prisoner of War camp in Richmond, Virginia due to fluency in German, Pennsylvania Dutch, and English. Following World War II, Christ got a degree in education from Moravian College, going on to teach English, German, and Social Studies.

In 1974, Christ went to Germany to teach American English on a Fulbright fellowship, and there was married a second time to, Liz, a Fulbright scholar who was in Germany teaching British English. While working there, Christ helped improve the English skills of a German cytogeneticist to allow her to participate in the World Health Organization, and it was through this connection that Christ discovered they have XXY chromosomes. Christ had occasionally started presenting as a woman before learning they were intersex following the end of their first marriage in 1973, but never formally came out, electing to present as masculine or feminine selectively. Christ expresses comfort in being able to present as either/or, while not particularly identifying with the LGBTQ+ community.

Christ passed away in 2018.

Collection: LGBT-068 - Anonymous

Topics: Klinefelter Syndrome

Organizations:

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-068 Anonymous Collection

Date: 2017

Katie Ward was born in 1952 and assigned male at birth. She was drafted after graduating from high school, and spent 22 years in military service, including active duty on a nuclear submarine in the Navy and Air Force National Guard. After Ward left active duty, she married and attended community college. She started working in the printing industry, moving up in the international printing business until 2013 when her company was bought out and she decided to retire. Ward was married twice and had one child.

Ward was a transgender activist and very active in LGBTQ+ community in Central PA. She organized and participated in numerous activities, including the Keystone Business Alliance, Central PA’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce; LGBT business mixers; local Gay Pride events; monthly Nights-Out with the Girls, and many others. She was an officer and longtime volunteer for TransCentral PA, and she helped establish the Keystone Conference, an international Trans conference held annually in Harrisburg.

Ward passed away in 2021

Collection: LGBT-067 - Ward

Topics: Transgender Experiences

Organizations: TransCentral PA

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-067 Katie Ward Collection

Date: 2017

Sophie Kandler was born in Spring City, PA in 1966. After graduating from high school, Sophie attended Drexel University, but transferred after two years to Pennsylvania State University where she graduated with a degree in Secondary Education in 1989. Growing up, Kandler always identified as female even though she was born a male. She transitioned in 2014.

Collection: LGBT-066 - Kandler

Topics: Transgender Experiences

Organizations:

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-066 Sophie Kandler Collection

Date: circa 1976

This collection contains an embosser for the PA Governor’s Council for Sexual Minorities. The council was an officially appointed advisory committee created by Governor Milton J. Shapp in 1976. Governor Shapp, by executive order, declared that all executive branch offices and services were to end discriminatory practices and policies against all LGBTQ+ employees, clients, and program of state services. The council was his instrument for the implementation of his decree throughout the Executive Branch of state government. Council committees consisted of knowledgeable LGBTQ+ activists appointed by Governor Shapp to work side-by-side with official state employees to monitor and rewrite government regulations and practices to reflect the executive order.

Collection: LGBT-063 - PA State Archives Transfer

Topics:

Organizations: PA Governor's Council for Sexual Minorities

View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-063 PA State Archives Transfer Collection

Date: circa 1995

Two rainbow chain necklaces. 

Collection: LGBT-035 Anonymous Collection

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item:

Date: 2006

Central PA Vipers dark blue sweatshirt. The front has the Viper's logo, and the back says in white font "Women's Semi Pro Football No Limits - No Boundaries." 

Collection: LGBT-032 - Snowden

Topics:

Organizations: Central PA Vipers

View Item:

Date: 1990

Handmade chain vest created by Thomas Pfeiffer for Pennsman Inc.

Collection: LGBT-017 - Pfeiffer

Topics:

Organizations: Pennsmen Inc.

View Item:

Date: 2006

The Central PA Vipers', a women's semiprofessional full contact football team, dark blue gym shorts with logo.

Collection: LGBT-032 - Snowden

Topics:

Organizations: Central PA Vipers

View Item: