Miller, Dan

The Pride Festival of Central PA is an annual event celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in the Central Pennsylvania region. Founded in 1992, the festival takes place every year on the last Saturday of July in the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Each July, approximately 5,000 individuals travel to downtown Harrisburg and attend the Pride Festival. It is the largest Pride celebration between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

This is the program for the second Pride Festival of Central PA. 

The Pride Festival of Central PA is an annual event celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in the Central Pennsylvania region. Founded in 1992, the festival takes place every year on the last Saturday of July in the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Each July, approximately 5,000 individuals travel to downtown Harrisburg and attend the Pride Festival. It is the largest Pride celebration between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

This is the program for the First Annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Festival of Central PA. 

The Central Pennsylvania Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CPGLCC) was established in 2007. It grew out of The Business Association of Gays and Lesbians (BAGAL), which was established in the 1990s by Dan Miller. Miller wanted to create an association that brought together professionals of the LGBTQ+ community to network. After Miller stepped down from leadership, the group evolved into more of a social network over the years. In 2007, new leadership reshaped BAGAL with the rebrand to CPGLCC. A business affiliate of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, CPGLCC began building partnerships between gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses, professionals, and students of business. Today, their mission is to “support diversity and assist Central Pennsylvania’s business community in pursuit of an ideal workplace, marketplace, industry, and region.”

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 story of Dan Miller, a Central PA accountant who was fired for being gay in 1990. This collection also contains program materials from the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, as well as Hershey, PA and NYC play performances. In addition, this collection includes items relevant to noteworthy LGBT Pennsylvanians. These items include an autographed photograph of Nancy Jane Kulp (born in Harrisburg, PA) who played Jane Hathaway on the television series Beverly Hillbillies; a photograph, publicity material, and an LP record album of T. C. Jones (born in Scranton, PA), well-known female impersonator; and an engraving of Bayard Taylor (born in Kennett Square, PA), who wrote Joseph and His Friend (1870), believed to be the first U.S. gay novel.

Dan Miller was born in 1956 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He earned his BA in Accounting from Elizabethtown College, later going on to get his MA in Finance from Penn State University. In October of 1990, after working for Donald L. DeMuth Professional Management Consultants as an accountant, Dan was fired for being gay. After the trial process, which Miller did not win, he continued to be an activist within the LGBT Community of Central PA. Miller ran for mayor of Harrisburg, PA in 2013. While he was not successful in that election, he has held numerous positions of leadership through the LGBT Community of Central PA.

Daniel (Dan) C. Miller’s colorful humor and personality were persistent throughout the interview. He shares his experiences growing up and coming out in his early 30s. His coming out experience was during his time working for Donald L. DeMuth. Specifically, homosexuality was listed as a fireable offense in his contract; the contract also contained one of the most overly broad non-compete clauses held up in a court of law. As Miller fought for the rights of the LGBT community he found himself thrust upon the public stage. Miller shares how he was fired from DeMuth and one year later faced a lawsuit on the basis of the non-compete clause; Miller countersued for wrongful termination. Miller contributes his lack of resources and knowledge of the legal system, as well as Judge Kevin Hess’s instruction to the jury, who did not want homosexuality to be a factor in the jury’s deliberation, as factors which caused him to lose the case. Despite the financial and incredible emotional cost of this case, he cites that gays around the area who had also been fired reached out to him. Dan Miller, who grew up without gay mentors or people to look to, became the hero he was looking for.