The Closet Bookstore (Lancaster, PA)

Nancy Helm was born in Lancaster Pennsylvania and graduated from Manheim Township High School in 1981. After graduating she worked for a printing company and did other odd jobs before opening a hair salon with her partner. Not long after that she opened a book store across the street called The Closet. She opened the bookstore as an outlet for the gay community of Lancaster so they could meet and hang out and shop. But, the bookstore was eventually the target of anti-gay crime in the 1990s. It was bombed twice and received multiple threats, including from the KKK. In this emotional interview Nancy gives her story about how she dealt with this and how it affected her life as well as the life of the gay community.

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. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s. 

News featured in this issue includes:

• "The Closest Closes Its Door" (p. 6)
• "Bookstore Opens in Harrisburg" (p. 6)

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. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s. This issue features:

• The events of the K.K.K. in Lancaster (p. 4)
• The second bombing of The Closet Bookstore (p. 4)
• "Wolfpack" Hate crimes in Lancaster, PA (p. 4)
• "The Klanwatch" (p. 5)
• "Women Veteran's Support Network Formed" (p. 5)
• Local Production: "A Friend for All Seasons" (p. 5)
• "K.K.K. coming to Williamsport" (p. 5)

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. The newsletter was distributed monthly until the mid-2000s. This issues features: 

• "Hates Crime Bill Introduced in Legislature" (p. 4)
• "KKK to. March in Lancaster" (p. 4)
• "Gay Bookstore Gets Bombed" (p. 4)
• "Channel 8 Debates KKK in Area" (p. 4)
• "Lancaster City Council Approves Ordinance" (p. 5)
• "WITF Declines to Air Award Winning Black Gay Film" (p. 5)
• 'York House AIDS Hospice to Open in York" (p. 5)