Smith-Cousins, Jonathan

Members at a PA Rural Gay Caucus Meeting in State College, PA. Members left to right: Pam Erdly, Sam Deetz, Jonathan Smith-Cousins, Tony Silvestre. Photo by Bari Weaver.

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 for the May 4, 1977 meeting. Minutes include:

• summary of presentation by Don Borbe on ''Inclusive Ministiries - Disabled Gays, Alcoholic Gays, and Older Gays"
• annoucements
• Employment Committe Report
• Lesgilations Committee Report
• Summary of Reorganization of Committees
• Attendence policy 
• updates on specific members
• future progroms discussion

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 bulletin was created by Tony Silvestre to update Council and Committee members every few weeks on Governor's Council for Sexual Minorities actions.

The Gay Era was a newspaper that reported news of interest from around the United States, with a specific focus on the news surrounding the gay community in Central PA, and provided a central forum for gay communities that were spread out across Central PA. Noteworthy news in this issues:

• "Rural Caucus" (p. 2)
• "Coming Out" (p. 5)
• "Dyke Cooper" (p. 6)
• "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (p. 8)
• "Rural Gay Resource List" (p. 15)

The Gay Era was a newspaper that reported news of interest from around the United States, with a specific focus on the news surrounding the gay community in Central PA, and provided a central forum for gay communities that were spread out across Central PA.

This issue was labeled incorrectly, and should be April 1976. Noteworthy news in this issue: 

• "Supreme Court Says 'Nay' on Gay" (p. 1)
• "Rural Caucus Report" (p. 5)
• "Governor's Council on Sexual Minorities" (p. 8)
• "Gay Education Day" (p. 12)