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.

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LGBT History Project

Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - October 2004

Date: October 2004

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...

Collection: LGBT-009 - Lavender Letter

Topics:

Organizations: Central PA Womyn's Chorus

View Item: PDF icon Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - October 2004

Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - August 2004

Date: August 2004

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...

Collection: LGBT-009 - Lavender Letter

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item: PDF icon Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - August 2004

Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - July 2004

Date: July 2004

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...

Collection: LGBT-009 - Lavender Letter

Topics:

Organizations: Central PA Womyn's Chorus, MCC of the Spirit

View Item: PDF icon Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - July 2004

Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - June 2004

Date: June 2004

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...

Collection: LGBT-009 - Lavender Letter

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item: PDF icon Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - June 2004

Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - May 2005

Date: May 2005

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...

Collection: LGBT-009 - Lavender Letter

Topics:

Organizations: MCC of the Spirit

View Item: PDF icon Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - May 2005

Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - April 2004

Date: April 2004

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...

Collection: LGBT-009 - Lavender Letter

Topics:

Organizations: Central PA Womyn's Chorus

View Item: PDF icon Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - April 2004

Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - March 2004

Date: March 2004

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...

Collection: LGBT-009 - Lavender Letter

Topics:

Organizations: MCC of the Spirit, Central PA Womyn's Chorus

View Item: PDF icon Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - March 2004

Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA)  - February 2004

Date: February 2004

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...

Collection: LGBT-009 - Lavender Letter

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item: PDF icon Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - February 2004

Here's How (Williamsport, PA) - November 1977

Date: November 1977

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion...

Collection: LGBT-008 - Maneval

Topics:

Organizations: Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW), Gay Era

View Item: PDF icon Here's How (Williamsport, PA) - November 1977

Here's How (Williamsport, PA) - October 1977

Date: October 1977

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion...

Collection: LGBT-008 - Maneval

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item: PDF icon Here's How (Williamsport, PA) - October 1977

Here's How (Williamsport, PA) - July 1977

Date: July 1977

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion...

Collection: LGBT-008 - Maneval

Topics:

Organizations: Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW), PA Rural Gay Caucus

View Item: PDF icon Here's How (Williamsport, PA) - July 1977

Here's How (Williamsport, PA) - June 1977

Date: June 1977

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion...

Collection: LGBT-008 - Maneval

Topics:

Organizations: Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW), PA Rural Gay Caucus

View Item: PDF icon Here's How (Williamsport, PA) - June 1977

A Tribute to the Past 40 Years of Music Program

Date: 1987, 2008

Paul Foltz grew up in Steelton, PA. After college, Foltz began studying theatre in England. It was here that Foltz discovered a strong and open LGBTQ+ community. When he returned to the United States, he became involved in Pennsylvania’s LGBTQA...

Collection: LGBT-093 - Foltz

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-093 Paul Foltz Collection

Lebanon County Lesbians Newsletters

Date: 1987-2019

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...

Collection: LGBT-086 - DiFava

Topics:

Organizations: Lebanon County Lesbians (LCL)

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-086 Marie DiFava Collection

Schlegel Who's Who Award and Pennsmen Pin

Date: 1961-2007

Robert “Bob” Deibler was born on January 20, 1940 in upper Paxton Township in Dauphin County, PA. He graduated from Millersburg Area High School and went on to attend Bloomsburg University with majors in social science and English, and later...

Collection: LGBT-081 - Deibler

Topics:

Organizations:

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-081 Robert ''Bob'' Deibler Collection

Susquehanna Valley Gays United Banner

Date: 1961-2015

Sam Edmiston was born on July 17, 1945 in Middleburg, PA. In the April of 1963, Edmiston enrolled in the US Navy, and three weeks after his graduation, went to the Keel United States Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois for recruitment...

Collection: LGBT-041 - Edmiston

Topics:

Organizations: Dignity/Central PA, Susquehanna Valley Gays United (SVGU)

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-041 Sam Edmiston Collection

York Hospice House Flyer

Date: 1991-1995

Joy (Ufema) Counsel was raised in Altoona, Pennsylvania. After completing high school, (Ufema) Counsel began studying to become a nurse at the Altoona Hospital, and later completed a nursing program at Harrisburg Area Community College....

Collection: LGBT-038 - Ufema Counsel

Topics: HIV/AIDs

Organizations: York Hospice House (York, PA)

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-038 Joy Ufema Counsel Collection

Marriage Equality Button

Date: circa 2010

Founded by Andrew Park in 1996 as the Center of Lesbian and Gay rights, Equality Pennsylvania (PA) is an organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and legislation throughout the state.

Collection: LGBT-031 - Equality PA

Topics:

Organizations: Equality PA

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-031 Equality PA Collection

 Dignity and Pink Triangle Pins

Date: 1976-1983

This collection contains monthly newsletters produced by the Gay Switchboard of Harrisburg in 1981, and an assortment of buttons documenting LGBTQ+ events and issues.

Collection: LGBT-030 - Riese

Topics:

Organizations: Dignity/Central PA, Gay Switchboard of Harrisburg (GSH)

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-030 Bob Riese Collection

Pennsmen Bolo Tie, Belt Buckle, and Pin

Date: undated

Twaddle was a member of The Pennsmen, a group of LGBT people with a common interest in the leather/fetish lifestyle, for approximately 12 years. This collection consists of artifacts from his time in The Pennsmen. The artifacts...

Collection: LGBT-028 - Twaddle

Topics:

Organizations: Pennsmen Inc.

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-029 Richard Twaddle Collection

Stuffed Frog from Bi-GLYAH fundraiser

Date: circa 1995

Sharon Mahar Potter was born in Buffalo, NY and raised in Scranton, PA. She began commuting to Harrisburg, PA for the first time when she was offered a position to build the early intervention system for disabled children in the city. Profoundly...

Collection: LGBT-027 - Potter

Topics: LGBT Youth

Organizations: Bi, Gay, Lesbian Youth Association of Harrisburg (Bi-GLYAH)

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-027 Sharon Potter Collection

Fall Achievement Benefit (FAB) Stationary Paper

Date: circa 2000-2005

This collection contains stationary paper and envelopes for two funds and one event with which The Foundation for Enhancing Communities(TFEC) was involved. TFEC is a community foundation that serves the greater Harrisburg, PA area; Dillsburg, PA...

Collection: LGBT-026 - Foundation for Enhancing Communities

Topics:

Organizations: Foundation for Enhancing Communities

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-026 Foundation for Enhancing Communities Collection

Voycemail Release Announcement and ''The Touch'' sticker

Date: 2000-2014

Shaashawn Dial is as a poet, radio broadcaster, educator, author, and businesswoman. Kown as Shaashawn “The Voyce” Dial, and she released her debut spoken word album, Voycemail, after that nickname. Dial became the program director of 1400 THE...

Collection: LGBT-025 - Dial

Topics:

Organizations: LGBT Center of Central PA, Central PA Vipers

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-025 Shaashawn Dial Collection

Unity Festival and AIDS Walk T-shirts

Date: 1984-1996

Bernie Pupo was born in Kulpmont, Pennsylvania in 1945 and attended Mount Carmel Catholic High School. After working in a factory after high school, Bernie moved to Harrisburg, where he joined SCAAN, the South Central Aids Assistance Network,...

Collection: LGBT-024 - Pupo

Topics:

Organizations: South Central Aids Assistance Network (SCAAN)

View Item: PDF icon LGBT History Project: LGBT-024 Bernie Pupo Collection

Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - December 2003

Date: December 2003

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...

Collection: LGBT-009 - Lavender Letter

Topics:

Organizations: AIDS Community Alliance

View Item: PDF icon Lavender Letter (Harrisburg, PA) - December 2003

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