Arts and Entertainment

Crossroads Magazine was a bi-monthly local LGBTQ+ magazine created, edited, and published by Dr. Eric Selvey. The goal of Crossroads was to bring together the LGBTQ+ community of Central Pennsylvania by creating a space to showcase the efforts and talents of local LGBTQ+ organizations, people, and events, with all articles being voluntary contributions. Crossroads was published from June 1996 – October 1997.

This issue includes: 

• Special Report: Breast Cancer 1996 - The Other Community Health Concern
• A Tribute to a Legal Warrior along with Her Parting Words ''I've Had a Magical Life''
• Getting Orientation Into PA's Ethnic Intimidation Act - The Attempt to Stamp Out Hate Crimes Against PA's Sexual Minorities 
• Part Two of the Interview with MCC's Pastor O'Diam
• Community Resource Spotlight: Lily White & Company

Staff T-shirt for the Harrisburg, PA gay bar and resturant, The Archives.

William Horn, dressed as his drag persona “Miss Christina Louise,” Miss Tina for short, tells of their experiences growing up gay, performing as a Drag Queen and the various organizations they’ve been a part of in their life. After moving to Lancaster in their earlier childhood, they eventually performed in several plays with the Lancaster Kiwanis Club and the Fulton Opera House. Later, after moving out of their parents’ house due to several disagreements, they began performing Drag at age 21, going on to win several competitions such as Miss Tally Ho, and Miss Gay Lancaster County. They even went on to compete in the Miss Gay America Pageant in Atlanta, Georgia. They also spoke of the harassment they faced for being gay, both on the streets, in the workplace and by the Lancaster Police Department. They spoke of their work with Gays United of Lancaster and attending several government meetings while dressed as Miss Tina, as well as the various AIDs events they attended dressed as such to show solidarity. They described their want to join the Air Force only to be turned down because of medical reasons and about the discrimination they faced from the police and medical professionals.

Lindsay Snowden was born in Pittsburgh on March 15, 1976. Lindsay joined the military at 17 and was an army nurse for nine years. After the military Lindsay stayed in nursing, while also becoming an entrepreneur. Lindsay worked on many projects in the Central PA area, which included: forming the first all-black drag king troupe in Central PA, House of Gaines; co-founding and editing STUDS Magazine; and running the Central PA Vipers, a women’s semi-professional full contact football team.

This collection contains materials related to STUDS Magazine and the Central PA Viper’s all-female football team. There is also a flyer advertising Voyce Mail, a spoken word CD created by Shaashawn Dial and produced by Lindsay Snowden, and two collections of poetry books written by Shaashawn Dial.

The LGBT Center of Central PA, housed in Harrisburg, PA, provides services, programs, and community space for the LGBT community in the region. These materials represent these initiatives, including the Common Roads program for youth and young adults, its predecessor BiGLYAH, and FAB (Fall Achievement Benefit). This collection also contains materials regarding the founding of the Center, publications produced by the Center and other regional LGBT initiatives (such as Central Alternative, Out and About in Central PA, and the @ The Center newsletter), news clippings regarding local LGBT issues, and other documentation of LGBT organizations and programming in Central PA.

This collection contains two bar passes to The Allegro Bar that was located in Baltimore, MD.

Dr. Eric Selvey was born and raised in Harrisburg, PA. He attended optometry school in Philadelphia and returned to the Harrisburg area after graduating.

Selvey was a member of Lily White and Company drag troupe, which raised thousands of dollars for local AIDS related organizations including South Central AIDS Assistance Network (SCAAN), of which he was also an active member. He worked on the Harrisburg Human Relations Commission, which fostered community relationships between the diverse Harrisburg populations; helped to develop Harrisburg’s Pride Festival; and was a part organizing the first Fall Achievement Benefit (FAB) fundraising event in Harrisburg. He was also the creator, editor, and publisher of the local LGBTQ+ publication Crossroads Magazine.

These materials document several LGBTQ+ bars that operated in the Harrisburg, PA area, namely The Archives Nightclub and Restaurant (1983), La Rose Rouge (1978-1992), Neptune’s Lounge (1972), and the Shadows bar (1980-1984). These items take the form of bar memorabilia, photographs, and video recordings.

This collection also includes trophies, plaques, and buttons highlighting the Harrisburg Hustler’s volleyball team, which Larry Wilson sponsored from 1981-1987. In addition, it includes an anniversary pin from The Pennsmen Inc., an organization for LGBTQ+ individuals with an interest in the leather/rubber/fetish lifestyle and was founded in South Central PA in 1977, and a scrapbook featuring Pennsmen events.

The beginning pages of the Pennsman scrapbook also includes pictures of Benedict A. “Wesley” Trautwein, a drag performer known as Francis Parker. Wesley was a part of the The Jewel Box Revue, a troupe of drag performers who traveled around the country from 1939 to 1969, which made many stops in Pennsylvania. After departing the Revue, he moved back to Harrisburg and continued preforming at local bars and clubs, such as The Neptune Lounge.

Two rainbow chain necklaces. 

A white STUDS Magainze t-shirt with "Handsomely Beautiful Men" logo. 

White matchbook from the Netpunes Lounge in Harrisburg, PA.

Red matchbook from La Rose Rouge in Harrisburg, PA

White matchbok from Club 1031 in Harrisburg, PA.

White and blue matchbooks from the Neptune's Lounge in Harrisburg, PA.

Pink Lily White & Company T-Shirt.

Founded by Paul Foltz in 1982, Lily White and Company was a south central Pennsylvania organization composed of entertainers and female impersonators. Lily White and Company produced numerous shows and performances throughout central Pennsylvania and the United States with the intent of raising funds for HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ organizations in the 1980s and 1990s.

Three matchbooks from Stallions in Harrisburg, PA, two silver, one black. Both the black and silver matchbooks are identical except for the colors.

A black matchbook with silver text from Stonewall in Allentown, Pa.

A white matchbox from The Cartwheel Night Club & Restaurant in New Hope, Pa.

Buisness card for Liquid 891, a lesbian bar in Harrisburg, PA. 

A creneck sweatshirt for the Harrisburg Men's Chorus.

Pin crated for the Pennsman Inc. 

This collection contains materials from the Harrisburg Men’s Chorus, and the 1989 and 1990 Unity Festivals, precursors to the Central PA Pride Fest. Unity Festival materials include planning documents, advertisements, and letters for Unity Festival 1990, which were originally stored together in the folder which is housed in the first folder in this collection. There are also photographs from Unity Festival 1989 and 1990. Harrisburg Men’s Chorus materials include programs from performances. There are also Artifacts which include one Harrisburg Men’s Chorus T-shirt and four Unity Festival T-shirts, which are a mixture of staff and spectator versions.

A wooden and metal plaque awarded to the 2nd Runner Up of the 2010 Studs Magazine Nubian Studd & Femme Pageant. On the plaque are two rectangular, bronze metal plates, the top one has the STUDs logo along with "STUDS Magazine Handsomely, Beautiful, Women." The Lower plate has a black background with gold lettering that says "2010 Studs magazine Nubian Studd & Femme Pageant 2nd Runner-Up."

A gay trivia game in a pink, black and white box. It has questions about politics, romance, history, fads, entertainment, arts, people and places. The game includes score cards, two pencils, a die, instructions, and 1800 trivia questions.

This collection contains an informational flyer on The Lesbian Connection, LGBTQ+ and feminist activist buttons and pins, and LGBTQ+ artist vinyl records.