Burns, Joseph W.

Various press release, correspondences, and advertisements for Pride Conference 1979. One handwritten letter.

Workshop Leaders information forms for Pride Conference 1979.

This is a photo of PA Rural Gay Caucus members at the Philadelphia Gay Pride in 1976. Members include Aaron Spicher (with the Dignity Banner), Joe Burns, Richard Hoffman (with GCS Berks Banner), Sam Deetz (turned away from the camera) and Jerry Brennan. This picture is found on page 5 of the PDF of the Dignity/Central PA Scrapbook.

Dignity/Central PA is 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. This scrapbook was created by Steven Leshner, a member of Dignity/Central PA, and includes mostly photos, unless otherwise noted, of annual picnics, events, and members, like those of founder Jerry Brennan and Father Wallace Sawdy.

Photograph of members of PA Rural Gay Caucus with their banner at the 1976 Philadelphia Gay Pride Parade. Identified members from left to right: Aaron Spicher (with the Dignity Banner), Joe Burns, Richard Hoffman (with GCS Berks Banner), Sam Deetz (turned away from the camera) and Jerry Brennan. Photo by Bari Weaver.

Bari Weaver (left), Sam Deetz (middle), and Joe Burns (right), memebers of the PA Rural Gay Caucus, reunited at dinner circa Christmas 1988.

The Pennsylvania Governor’s Council for Sexual Minorites 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 proposed council was his instrument guaranteeing the implementation of his decree throughout the Executive Branch of state government.

Minuntes from the meeting of the Steering Committee of the Governor's Council for Sexual Minorities. Minutes include:

• Policy regarding multiple committee membership
• Annual Organization of Council
• Additional Committee Members
• A council vacancy
• Public Information and Education
• Letters on Council Stationary
• Spokesperson for the Council
• Reports on Committee
• Upcoming meetings

The Pennsylvania Governor’s Council for Sexual Minorites 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 proposed council was his instrument guaranteeing the implementation of his decree throughout the Executive Branch of state government.

Minutes from the April 17, 1979 meeting. Minutes include

• Update on attendance policy
• Status of the Council
• Update on Alcoholism
• Update on Advisory Council presentation to the US Civil Rights Commission
• Update on conference on LGBTQ+ Prisoner Sexual Assault
• Pride '79 planning
• Update on Speaker's Bureau
• Council Membership

The Pennsylvania Governor’s Council for Sexual Minorites 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 proposed council was his instrument guaranteeing the implementation of his decree throughout the Executive Branch of state government.

This was the agenda and minutes for a September 1978 meeting. The meeting included:

• announcements
• an update on the Gay State-wide Support Network
• updates on Affirmative Action training
• training in the State Police Academy on sexual minorities issues
• disucssion about the Prison Rape Project
• discussion on how the council can support education on Gay Alcoholism

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.

Statement proposed by Joseph W. Burns in representation of the PA Rural Gay Caucus against the PA House of Representatives for rejecting Governor Shapp's Proclamation of Gay Pride Week, June 12 -19, 1976.

Announcement letter and informational flyer for Human Rights Day, held May 24, 1977 at Harrisburg, PA.

This is a collection of recruitment flyers and letters created by the Gay Lobby Day Committee for Gay Lobby Day held on March 23, 1976.

Joseph "Joe" W. Burns is an LGBT activist who actively participated in LGBT organizations, marches, and protests especially throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s. In this interview, Joe discusses his involvement in several of those LGBT and women’s rights organizations, including Berks County, Allentown NOW, the Gay Line, and Le-Hi-Ho, of which he was a founding member. He also recalls his involvement in attempting to have a gay rights ordinance passed through the Human Rights Commission and Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus for the Lehigh Valley area, which unfortunately failed. Additionally, in this interview Joe considers the importance of talking and listening to women in order to promote inclusive activism. In terms of his personal life, Joe briefly talks about his relationships with two of his lovers, both which sadly ended in divorce. In the future, Joe hopes to learn about what happened to the Le-Hi-Ho library and his fellow activists from Berks County.

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 donated his entire library of gay-related books to Le-Hi-Ho before retiring from his activism career, and he donated books to the LGBT archives at the Waidner-Spahr Library at Dickinson College as well. This interview focuses on his memories of activism in the early years of the Gay Liberation Movement just before and just after the Stonewall riots of 1969. He finishes this interview with an emotional recollection of the Christopher Liberation Day Parade in 1970.

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 is shared, along with planning of Gay Lobby Day, concerns over the Helath Concerns Committe, and information surrounding Anita Bryant's ''Save Our Children'' campaign. 

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 reports as well as reports from the Legislative, Communication, and Education committees. 

List of resolutions introduced from Pride '78, a statewide gay rights conference, with notes on which were passed, amended, or failed. 

Minutes from the entirity of Pride'78, a statewide gay rights conference. 

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.

Notable information in this issue includes:

• New York City and Philadelphia Pride Parades
• Local committees formed by the Governor's Council for Sexual Minorities
• Purpose and structure of the PA Rural Gay Caucus
• Local participation in Equal Rights Amendment Rally
• The opening of an alternative bookstore in Reading, PA
• The GCS Berks Speakers Bureau

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 this letter, Joseph Burns tells members of the departure of Lehigh Valley Homophile Organization (Le-Hi-Ho) from the group due to division among the group. He also goes on to talk about the protentional for growth and change within the caucus, starting with the next meeting, where they will decide if the caucus stays an organization or dissolves.

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 this letter, the Caucus is writing to the Majoyr of Allentown, PA in support of the adding sexual orientation preferences as a protection clause in the Human Rights Ordinance.