PA Senate Bill 531

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.

Minutes for the March 28, 1977 meeting. Minutes include: 

• announcements 
• reports from the chair
• employement committe report
• legislative update
• internaitonal women's year
• update on committees within the council

Joseph W. Burns started to donate these materials in 2013 as the first contribution of historical documents to the LGBT Center of Central PA History Project. These materials reflect his involvement in, and document, LGBTQ+ activism in Central PA.

This collection contains materials from 1968 – 2015, but the bulk of the materials focus on LGBTQ+ activism from 1970 – 1980. There are 14 Series which highlight LGBTQ+ activist organizations, legislation, publications, photographs, personal/miscellaneous items, media, and artifacts, as well as Subject Files regarding people, organizations, or issues related to LGBTQ+ activism. Materials include documents, photos, a cassette tape, and multiple artifacts.

Announcement letter and informational flyer for Human Rights Day, held May 24, 1977 at Harrisburg, PA.

The Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus was “an association of interested individuals and groups, formed with the objective of promulgating the concerns and freedoms of gay people and all sexual minorities.” The report was used as a type of newsletter outreach to the Central PA LGBTQ community.

In these minutes, the caucus discusses the reports of various committees and provides an evaluation of Human Rights Day. They also brainstorm ideas for the next Rural Conference and nominations for the secretary position.

The Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus was "an association of interested individuals and groups, formed with the objective of promulgating the concerns and freedoms of gay people and all sexual minorities." The newsletter was used as outreach to the Central PA LGBTQ+ community. In this newsletter, the PA Rural Gay Caucus provides the location and time for the June meeting, and the minutes from the May meeting that include:

• Communications and Legislative Committee Reports
• Youth Committee Report
• Concerns over PA Senate Bill 83
• Call for nominations for the Secretary Postion
• Budgets for committees
• 3rd World Commitee Report.

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:

• "What is Obscenity?" (p. 3)
• "Gay Rights Ordinance Attempted in Allentown ("p. 5)
• "Lobbyist Kohn Denies Charges "(p. 6)
• "PA Rural Gay Resource List" (p. 12)
• We Are Not the Criminals: Support Human Rights Day (p. 13)
• "Dyke Cooper" (p. 15)
• "Gay Awareness at MSC" (p. 19)