LGBT Oral History Summaries

Number of Pages
120
Date
2018

Since August 2012 the LGBT History Project of the LGBT Center of Central PA has actively collected stories of LGBT history in central PA as told by those who lived them. This growing collection of oral history interviews is housed by the Dickinson College Archives and Special Collections. The attached PDF file contains summaries of each completed interview. To access the full video/audio file or transcription of an interview, contact archives@dickinson.edu or 717-245-1399.

Year
Time Period
Origin
Created by Dickinson Archives and Special Collections Staff
Collection
Location
LGBT Oral History

LGBT History Project: LGBT-101 Terrence Dragovan and Thomas F. Grubic

Number of Pages
3
Date
1975-1996
Terrence Dragovan and Thomas F. Grubic were a married couple in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Thomas Grubic passed away in 2022. Grubic graduated from Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1967. Dragovan, a native of Steelton, Pennsylvania, also graduated from Bishop McDevitt High School and later Marshall University in 1984.
Year
Origin
Gift of Terrence Dragovan and Thomas F. Grubic
Location
LGBT-101 Terrence Dragovan and Thomas F. Grubic

LGBT History Project: LGBT-113 Don Haines Collection

Number of Pages
3
Date
1988-1996
Don Haines was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he lived until the age of 12. He then moved to the suburbs of Lancaster, remaining in Lancaster County. Still within Lancaster County, Haines later moved to Columbia, Pennsylvania with his partner. Haines came out at the age of 23 in 1987, a time he described as a “very oppressive” time. Haines was raised Roman Catholic but struggled with the church’s lack of acceptance, operating outside of the church until Pope Francis took charge. Haines graduated from Millersville University where he was a part of a gay and lesbian group. He worked for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, encouraged by Governor Schapp’s acceptance of gay people and the protection of a union.
People
Year
Time Period
Origin
Gift of Don Haines
Collection
Location
LGBT-113 Don Haines Collection

LGBT History Project: LGBT-106 Jeremy S. Boorum Collection

Number of Pages
7
Date
2006-2023
Jeremy S. Boorum was born in 1997 in Rochester, New York. After completing his undergraduate education at Elmira College, Boorum briefly relocated to Central Pennsylvania in 2019 to begin a master’s degree in American studies at Penn State Harrisburg, and later returned in 2021 to pursue a doctoral education in the same department. As a doctoral student, Boorum became involved in the local LGBTQ+ community. During the Spring 2022 semester, Boorum led efforts to relaunch Pride at Penn State Harrisburg, the campus’s LGBTQ+ student organization, and served as the group’s president. Following his work with Pride, Boorum taught an undergraduate course about LGBTQ+ identity, culture, and the arts. Additionally, Boorum contributed to the LGBT Center of Central PA History Project and worked with the project’s archival collections at Dickinson College for two summers. Boorum continues to serve on the project’s steering committee.
Year
Origin
Gift of Jeremy Boorum
Collection
Location
LGBT-106 Jeremy S. Boorum Collection

LGBT History Project: LGBT-098 Tapestry Inserts Collection

Number of Pages
4
Date
1993-1996
Tapestry Magazine, alternately known as Tapestry, Transgender Tapestry, The TV-TS Tapestry, and The Tapestry Journal throughout its history, was first published in the late 1970s. The publication appeared in a variety of formats until the early 2000s. The publication was founded by Merissa Sherrill Lynn and was published first by the Tiffany Club and later by the International Foundation for Gender Education, IFGE.
Year
Time Period
Origin
Gift of Anonymous Donor
Location
LGBT-098 Tapestry Inserts Collection

LGBT History Project: LGBT-110 Mark Segal Collection

Date
1975
Mark Segal was born January 12, 1951, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Germantown High School and later Temple University. He moved to New York City in 1969 where he became heavily involved with the LGBT civil rights movement. Segal participated in the Stonewall Riots, was a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front, and was a member of the Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day Committee. In 1976, he founded the Philadelphia Gay News, a weekly LGBT newspaper publication in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is still published today. He has continued to serve as an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, serving on the Joint Diversity Council of Comcast NBC/Universal and working with the Obama administration to plan and open The John C. Anderson Apartments, the nation’s first “LGBT Friendly” senior affordable housing apartment building in 2013.
People
Year
Time Period
Origin
Gift of Mark Seal
Collection
Location
LGBT-110 Mark Segal Collection

Pride '79 Interested Attendee Letters - 1979

Number of Pages
12
Date
1979

Letters from interested attendees for Pride Conference 1979. Most of the letters are handwritten.

General Subjects
Year
Time Period
Origin
Gift of Joseph W. Burns
Collection
Location
LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection

Pride '79 Press Releases and Advertisements - 1979

Number of Pages
6
Date
1979

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

General Subjects
Year
Time Period
Origin
Gift of Joseph W. Burns
Collection
Location
LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection

Pride '79 Workshop Leaders Information Form - 1979

Number of Pages
3
Date
1979

Workshop Leaders information forms for Pride Conference 1979.

General Subjects
Year
Time Period
Format
Origin
Gift of Joseph W. Burns
Collection
Location
LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection

Pride '79 Planning Committee Information - 1979

Number of Pages
4
Date
1979

Planning Committee information for the PA Pride Conference held in 1979. 

General Subjects
Year
Time Period
Format
Origin
Gift of Joseph W. Burns
Collection
Location
LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection

Pride '78 Evaluation Form (filled out, handwritten) - 1978

Number of Pages
2
Date
1978

Filled out evaluation form from Pride 1978. The form is hadnwritten. 

General Subjects
Year
Time Period
Format
Origin
Gift of Joseph W. Burns
Collection
Location
LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection

Pride Conference Speaker Correspondences and Information - 1975 to1978

Number of Pages
12
Date
1975 to 1978

Correspondences and information on Pride Conference speakers from 1975 to 1978. Some correspondences are handwritten.

Time Period
Origin
Gift of Joseph W. Burns
Collection
Location
LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection

Pride '75 Mark Segal Conference Announcement - 1975

Number of Pages
2
Date
1975

Letter announcing the 1975 Pennsylvania State Gay Conference, a statewide gay rights conference which was later known as Pride.

People
General Subjects
Year
Time Period
Origin
Gift of Joseph W. Burns
Collection
Location
LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection

York Lesbian Alliance Meeting Minutes - April 13, 1997

Number of Pages
5
Date
April 13, 1997

York Lesbian Alliance meeting minutes focusing on the York City School District Anti-Discrimination Policy and adding sex/sexual orientation to hate crimes status.

York Lesbian Alliance was started by Peg (Stoppard) Welch in the 1990s. 

Places
Organizations
Year
Time Period
Origin
Gift of Peg & Delma Welch
Collection
Location
LGBT-080 Peg & Delma Welch Collection

The Lesbians/Gay/Straight Alliance interest and sign-up sheet - circa 1994

Number of Pages
2
Date
circa 1994

Sign-up sheet for the Lesbian/Gay/Straight Alliance in York County. 

Places
Year
Time Period
Origin
Gift of Peg & Delma Welch
Collection
Location
LGBT-080 Peg & Delma Welch Collection

York Area LAMBDA Newsletter - May/June 1996

Number of Pages
7
Date
May/June 1996

York Area LAMBDA monthly newsletter with focus on Peg (Stoppard) Welch resigning as President.

York Area LAMBDA, started in the 1990s and originally known as York Support Inc., was an educational, political, and social group for the LGBTQ+ community of York, PA and the surrounding area.

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Places
Organizations
Year
Time Period
Format
Origin
Gift of Peg & Delma Welch
Collection
Location
LGBT-080 Peg & Delma Welch Collection

Memo from Peg Welch about "Coming Out" - January 30, 1993

Number of Pages
2
Date
January 30, 1993

Peg Welch's stance on coming out when fighting for LGBTQ+ rights in York, PA.

York Area LAMBDA, started in the 1990s and originally known as York Support Inc., was an educational, political, and social group for the LGBTQ+ community of York, PA and the surrounding area.

Topics
Places
Organizations
Year
Time Period
Origin
Gift of Peg & Delma Welch
Collection
Location
LGBT-080 Peg & Delma Welch Collection

Steven Leshner and Richard Hause at event in Washington, D.C. – circa 1990

Date
1990

This is a photo of Steven Leshner (left) and Richard Hause (right) at an event in Washington, D.C. around 1990. Two copies of this picture are found on pages 7 and 39 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.

Find Other Issues
Organizations
Year
Time Period
Format
Origin
Gift of Steven Leshner
Collection
Location
LGBT-029 - Steven Leshner Collection

Aaron Spicher and Ted [Hogonvesher] at Philadelphia Gay Pride – 1976

Date
1976

This is a photo of Aaron Spicher and Ted Hogonvesher at Philadelphia Gay Pride in 1976. This picture is found on page 4 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.

Find Other Issues
Organizations
Year
Time Period
Format
Origin
Gift of Steven Leshner
Collection
Location
LGBT-029 - Steven Leshner Collection

PA Rural Gay Caucus group at Philadelphia Gay Pride - 1976

Date
1976

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.

Find Other Issues
Year
Time Period
Format
Origin
Gift of Steven Leshner
Collection
Location
LGBT-029 - Steven Leshner Collection

LGBT History Project: LGBT-071 Anonymous Collection

Number of Pages
1
Date
1976 - 2010

This collection contains newspaper articles collected by a Central PA resident from The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Blade, and The Washington Post that focus on national LGBTQ+ history in the Washington D.C. area.

General Subjects
Origin
Gift of Anonymous
Location
LGBT-071 Anonymous Collection