Social Reform and Advocacy

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion sessions. The newsletter, Here’s How, was a way to keep group members up-to-date on news and events.

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion sessions. The newsletter, Here’s How, was a way to keep group members up-to-date on news and events.

In this issue, the lack of member participation is addressed and ideas on moving forward are expressed.

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion sessions. The newsletter, Here’s How, was a way to keep group members up-to-date on news and events.

In this issue, Dan Maneval shares the harassment he is experiencing after the Bloomberg State Fair rally, which will impact future HOW meetings. 

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion sessions. The newsletter, Here’s How, was a way to keep group members up-to-date on news and events.

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion sessions. The newsletter, Here’s How, was a way to keep group members up-to-date on news and events. 

In this issue, HOW disscusses the possibility of working with the local NOW Chapter for upcoming events and fundraisers. 

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion sessions. The newsletter, Here’s How, was a way to keep group members up-to-date on news and events.

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.

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion sessions. The newsletter, Here’s How, was a way to keep group members up-to-date on news and events.

In this issue HOW discussed:

• an evaluation of the anniversary party is provide and how HOW can reorganize to stay relevant in the coming year
• the formation of a by-laws committee
• discussion on a potential location for a hot-line for HOW and meeting space

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion sessions. The newsletter, Here’s How, was a way to keep group members up-to-date on news and events.

In this issue, HOW discusses the upcoming anniversary party and an update on the budget.

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion sessions. The newsletter, Here’s How, was a way to keep group members up-to-date on news and events.

In this issue, Dan Maneval includes a letter sharing how HOW has impacted his life for the better.

Homophiles of Williamsport (HOW) was founded in 1975 to be an educational outreach and social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Williamsport, PA area, through monthly meetings, social events, and discussion sessions. The newsletter, Here’s How, was a way to keep group members up-to-date on news and events.

Maria DiFava was born in Lebanon County, PA in 1953. She graduated from high school and attended nursing school and ultimately became an EMT volunteer. She later worked as a mail carrier for the US Postal Service. Marie married and had three children with her husband, whom she later divorced.

When she came out, DiFava started to look for gay organizations to join in her area. After travelling throughout Central PA, DiFava became frustrated at the lack of a lesbian community in Lebanon, thus the Lebanon County Lesbians organization was formed. The group met in DiFava’s home starting in June of 1997, and for the next few years, she hosted meetings in her home until she was able to have help planning events and meetings. DiFava advertised through Lebanon County initially, but eventually turned toward the entirety of Central PA.

Sam Edmiston was born on July 17, 1945 in Middleburg, PA. In the April of 1963, Edmiston enrolled in the US Navy, and three weeks after his graduation, went to the Keel United States Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois for recruitment training. While in the US Navy, Edmiston was a dispersing clerk until he was dishonorably discharged for being gay in 1966. Edmiston fought to change the discharge, and his papers were later changed to a “general discharge under general conditions.”

After coming home from the Navy, Edmiston worked various jobs until he retired from working for seven years for personal health reasons. After the seven years, Edmiston found a job with the Social Security Administration through Administrative Careers of America. He went on to work for the Social Security Administration for the next 10 years until he finally retired permanently.

Throughout and after college Edmiston was active in the pursuit of gay rights. He started the Susquehanna Valley Gays United in 1976 with friend Sam Deetz, was the secretary for the PA Rural Gay Caucus, contributed to the Lancaster Gay Era Newspaper, and was part of Dignity/Central PA.

Joy (Ufema) Counsel was raised in Altoona, Pennsylvania. After completing high school, (Ufema) Counsel began studying to become a nurse at the Altoona Hospital, and later completed a nursing program at Harrisburg Area Community College. Throughout her career as a nurse, (Ufema) Counsel developed an affinity for caring for patients who were terminally ill.

Searching for direction after facing a roadblock in her career, (Ufema) Counsel decided to use her experience in hospice care to alleviate the suffering she had witnessed in the AIDS crisis. After proposing the idea to the mayor of York, PA, (Ufema) Counsel bought an old brownstone for one dollar and began renovations. In 1991, York Hospice House was born. Counsel used her expertise in death and dying to design the home based on a philosophy of extreme attention to detail. She wanted to create “a tone in this hospice of love and acceptance and peace.” From 1991-1995, the York House provided care to 95 dying AIDS patients.

Sharon Mahar Potter was born in Buffalo, NY and raised in Scranton, PA. She began commuting to Harrisburg, PA for the first time when she was offered a position to build the early intervention system for disabled children in the city. Profoundly moved by a young gay man’s speech in a meeting of the House Education Committee, Sharon helped to establish and served as a leader for the Bi, Gay, Lesbian Youth Association of Harrisburg (Bi-GLYAH).

This collection holds items from Potter’s time as the organizer of Bi-GLYAH. Items include photographs of Bi-GLYAH youths at events and a stuffed Frog created during a Bi-GLYAH fundraising event.

The t-shirts and flags in this collection were donated by Gerald Vath, who attended the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation in 1993 and the Millennium March on Washington in 2000. Vath wore these t-shirts and waved/carried these flags during their respective marches. There is also a pin to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

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.