- Home
- Archival Material
- College History Projects
- Subject-Based Digital Projects
LGBT History Project
About LGBT History Project Resources
The LGBT Center of Central PA and the Dickinson College Archives and Special Collections have partnered to document the stories and history of LGBT life and activism in the greater Central Pennsylvania region. This site contains oral histories that have been recorded for the LGBT History Project, as well as fully accessible digital versions of documents, images, and artifacts that have been donated to the project.
This is a quickly growing collection, and not all items are available through this website. Please contact Malinda Triller-Doran at archives@dickinson.edu for information about how to access all of the resources of the LGBT History Project, as well as how to donate additional materials.
Generous support to make these unique resources accessible has been provided by the Schlegel Deibler Charitable Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Search LGBT History Project
LGBT History Project
Date: July 1, 2013
Born in 1949 to a Lutheran minister and his wife, Marlene Kanuck married a man, had two children, and got a divorce after 11 years of marriage before realizing that she was a lesbian. In this interview, she discusses her coming out process and...
Collection: LGBT Oral History
Topics:
Organizations: Common Roads
View Item: 
Transcription of LGBT Oral History 054: Marlene Kanuck
Date: May 24, 2013
From the time Joseph "Joe" W. Burns came out as gay at around 27 years of age, he was involved in gay activism. He was a part of many organizations that have helped to move gay rights forward, including the Mattachine Society and Le-Hi-Ho. He...
Collection: LGBT Oral History
Topics:
Organizations: Lehigh Valley Homophile Organization (Le-Hi-Ho), Mattachine Society of New York
View Item: Transcription of LGBT Oral History 012A: Joseph W. Burns
Date: March 28, 2013
For the very first interview of the history project, Edmund Good and Thurman Grossnickle describe their coming out stories. Thurman is a retired Scientist Administrator and has spent many years in academia and in health professions, as well as in...
Collection: LGBT Oral History
Topics: Coming Out
Organizations: Dignity/Central PA, Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of Harrisburg, Homophiles of Penn State (HOPS)
View Item: Transcription of LGBT Oral History 042: Edmund ''Ed'' Good and Thurman Grossnickle, part 1, Transcription of LGBT Oral History 042: Edmund ''Ed'' Good and Thurman Grossnickle, part 2
Date: May 1977
The Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus was “an association of interested individuals and groups, formed with the objective of promulgating the concerns and freedoms of gay people and all sexual minorities.”
In these minutes general information...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics: PA Senate Bill 83, Abortion Laws
Organizations: PA Rural Gay Caucus, Coalition for Human Rights, MCC Harrisburg
View Item: PA Rural Gay Caucus Minutes - May 1977
Date: April 1977
The Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus was “an association of interested individuals and groups, formed with the objective of promulgating the concerns and freedoms of gay people and all sexual minorities.”
In these minutes general information...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics: PA Senate Bill 83
Organizations: PA Rural Gay Caucus, MCC Harrisburg
View Item: PA Rural Gay Caucus Minutes - April 1977
Date: March 1977
The Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus was “an association of interested individuals and groups, formed with the objective of promulgating the concerns and freedoms of gay people and all sexual minorities."
In these minutes general information...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics: PA Senate Bill 83, Sodomy Repeal Bill
Organizations: PA Rural Gay Caucus
View Item: PA Rural Gay Caucus Minutes - March 1977
Date: February 1977
The Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus was “an association of interested individuals and groups, formed with the objective of promulgating the concerns and freedoms of gay people and all sexual minorities.”
In these minutes general information...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics:
Organizations: PA Rural Gay Caucus, Brethren/Mennonite Council for Gay Concerns, Gay Coordinating Society of Berks County, Reading (GCS Berks)
View Item: PA Rural Gay Caucus Minutes - February 1977
Date: January 1977
The Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus was “an association of interested individuals and groups, formed with the objective of promulgating the concerns and freedoms of gay people and all sexual minorities.”
In these minutes general information...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics: PA Senate Bill 83, Sodomy Laws
Organizations: PA Rural Gay Caucus
View Item: PA Rural Gay Caucus Minutes - January 1977
Date: December 1976
The Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus was “an association of interested individuals and groups, formed with the objective of promulgating the concerns and freedoms of gay people and all sexual minorities.”
In these minutes, general minutes are...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics: Sodomy Laws
Organizations: PA Rural Gay Caucus, PA Governor's Council for Sexual Minorities
View Item: PA Rural Gay Caucus Minutes - December 1976
Date: 1991 - 2001
Patricia “Pat” Saunders grew up in the suburbs of Boston, where she became a hairdresser. After Saunders married, she and her family moved to Lancaster, PA, but later she moved back to Boston until moving to New York City for her hairdressing...
Collection: LGBT-062 - Saunders
Topics: HIV/AIDs
Organizations: The Betty Finney House, Lancaster AIDS Project, American Red Cross of Lancaster County, American Red Cross of the Susquehanna Valley
View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-062 Patricia ''Pat'' Saunders Collection
Date: 1978 - 2012
The bulk of the collection consists of buttons, ribbons, and t-shirts from LGBT events. It also contains documentation of the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of Harrisburg and Dignity of Central PA. Several of the items in this collection relate the...
Collection: LGBT-014 - Loveland
Topics: HIV/AIDs
Organizations: Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of Harrisburg, Dignity/Central PA
View Item: LGBT History Project: LGBT-014 Barry Loveland Collection Inventory
Date: 1970s to present
These images represent a cross section of the types of materials included in the LGBT Center of Central PA's History Project, which is housed in the Dickinson College Archives and Special Collections....
Collection:
Topics:
Organizations:
View Item:
Date: April 1984
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics:
Organizations: MCC Harrisburg, MCC Lancaster
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - April 1984
Date: March 1984
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics:
Organizations: MCC Lancaster, MCC Harrisburg
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - March 1984
Date: January 1984
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics:
Organizations: MCC Harrisburg, MCC Lancaster, MCC Williamsport
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - January 1984
Date: December 1983
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics:
Organizations: MCC Harrisburg, MCC Lancaster, MCC Williamsport
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - December 1983
Date: June 1983
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics: Gay Pride
Organizations: MCC Harrisburg, MCC Lancaster
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - June 1983
Date: March 1983
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics: Harrisburg Ordinance #8
Organizations: MCC Harrisburg, MCC Lancaster
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - April 1983
Date: March 1983
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics: HIV/AIDs
Organizations: MCC Harrisburg, MCC Lancaster, MCC Williamsport
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - March 1983
Date: February 1983
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics:
Organizations: MCC Harrisburg, MCC Lancaster
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - February 1983
Date: January 1983
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics:
Organizations: MCC Lancaster, MCC Harrisburg
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - January 1983
Date: December 1982
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics:
Organizations: MCC Harrisburg, MCC Lancaster
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - December 1982
Date: November 1982
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics:
Organizations: MCC Harrisburg, MCC Lancaster
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - November 1982
Date: October 1982
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics:
Organizations: MCC Lancaster, MCC Harrisburg
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - October 1982
Date: September 1982
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)...
Collection: LGBT-001 - Burns
Topics:
Organizations: MCC Harrisburg, MCC Lancaster
View Item: MCC Freedom Newsletter - September 1982