EARLY LGBTQ+ ACTIVISM IN CENTRAL PA
Richard Schlegel; The First LGBTQ+ Activist in Central PA
Richard Schlegel is widely considered the first gay activist in Central Pennsylvania for establishing the Harrisburg chapter of the Janus Society, the first LGBT+ organization in the region. However, his involvement in the Janus Society is just one of his many accomplishments that contribute to the history of early queer activism in Central PA.
Richard Schlegel was born in Berrysburg, PA (Dauphin County) in 1927. He attended Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) during and immediately after World War II. In 1958, Schlegel went to work for the United States Army in Honolulu, HI, as a civilian employee. After three years, the Army fired Schlegel for his “immoral and indecent conduct,” or more plainly, on the suspicion that Schlegel was homosexual. Schlegel sued the Army and in 1969, the Supreme Court ruled against him in Schlegel v. U.S. (1969). For more information go to: https://www.centralpalgbthistory.org/blacklisted.html to learn more about Schlegel v. U.S. and the fight in Central PA against employment discrimination of LGBTQ+ people.
In 1963, Schlegel found a job with the PA Department of Highways, but his ongoing court case kept him connected to the homophile movement and other activists. Schlegel became acquainted with Clark Pollack, President of the Philadelphia chapter of the Janus Society. In 1965, Pollack asked Schlegel to allow Janus Society mail to be sent to Schlegel’s P.O. box in Harrisburg and thus the Harrisburg chapter of the Janus Society was born.
The Janus Society of Philadelphia published two publications: Janus and Drum. In 1965, Schlegel responded to a letter in Janus using his real name. He signed his name because, in his own words, “I thought I was brazen enough to just stand up and face whatever there was without hiding behind something.” (Oral Interview, 1997)
Although only 25 copies of Janus were distributed in Harrisburg, a post office worker spoke to the Department of Highways about Schlegel’s name in Janus. Schlegel was asked to resign and he did so “voluntarily.”
Drum Magazine was the successor to Janus magazine, and was edited by Clark Polack. Drum was different in its mission than the “militant respectability” of the Janus Society. It drew its name from the Henry David Thoreau quote from Walden, "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears the beat of a different drummer.” Schlegel wrote for Drum until its shut down in mid-1969, just before Stonewall.
Citations
- Richard Schlegel at a desk in the PA Department of Highways, circa 1964, photo, LGBT-081 Robert “Bob” Deibler Collection, LGBT History Project Collection, Archives and Special Collections, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA.
- Richard Schlegel at Dinner Event, circa 1964, photo, LGBT-081 Robert “Bob” Deibler Collection, LGBT History Project Collection, Archives and Special Collections, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA.
- Janus Advertisement in Drum Magazine, photo, LGBT-001 Joseph Burns Collection, LGBT History Project Collection, Archives and Special Collections, Dickinson College, Carlisle PA.
- Richard Schlegel at the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association dinner - March 11, 1964, photo, LGBT-081 Robert “Bob” Deibler Collection, LGBT History Project Collection, Archives and Special Collections, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA.
- Richard Schlegel (far right) at the Bucknell University Seminar for Highway Executives - August 1963, photo, LGBT-081 Robert “Bob” Deibler Collection, LGBT History Project Collection, Archives and Special Collections, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA.
Richard Schlegel at a desk in the PA Department of Highways,” circa 1964
LGBTQ+ Nightlife
One newspaper article described bars as the place to "experience the joys of Gay Sisterhood and Brotherhood." (2) Ever since the 1930s, bars in Central PA served as havens for LGBTQ+ people.
Unfortunately, in the 1960s and ‘70s, bar culture was "white male–dominated." (3) There was an expectation to wear conservative clothes and blend into straight crowds in order to avoid extra attention. In response, lesbian bars like the D-Gem opened. Many bars were still raided by police and shut down.
See a full timeline of these bars in our History of LGBTQ+ Bars in Central PA exhibit.
Gay Era, February 1975. Courtesy of LGBT-001, DCA. (4)
The "Legendary" Reading Picnics
Will Kratz and Vince Grimm hosted a series of picnics in Reading, PA from 1961 through 1979. Their picnics funded elaborate drag shows that reached over 600 people in attendance! (5)
Crowds from across the East Coast came to the picnics to eat, drink, and watch drag performers, comedians, and variety acts.
LGBTQ+ residents of Central PA would often travel into the cities like Philadelphia and New York to find safety. But the rural, isolated nature of Central PA also provided an escape for city-based LGBTQ+ people. At events like the Reading Picnics, it was possible to dress how you wished and be surrounded by LGBTQ+ people without fear of being caught.
But just socializing wasn't cutting it anymore. "Sure, a lot of us are scared, but the system needs re-evaluating and it's time to do it!" (7)
Gay Coordinating Society of Berks County (GCS Berks) Newsletter
This newsletter, published eight years after the uprising, mentions the Stonewall on the first page (pictured on the left). This shows how the spirit of Stonewall has actually outlasted the act of rebellion itself. The people in Berks County are gathering in Philadelphia and New York to celebrate gay pride on the anniversary of Stonewall, and they invite other Central PA community members to join them.
Gay Coordinating Society of Berks County, Reading (GCS Berks) Newsletter - June 1976, Courtesy of LGBT-001, DCA. (1)
REMEMBRANCE
Stonewall Bar in Lehigh Valley
This gay bar, located in Allentown, PA, was named after Stonewall. Local community members were sad to see this bar close after 49 years of service, as it was considered a safe haven for
many LGBTQ+ members. Many people met their life partners there. However, a new gay bar opened in its place in 2021, and will hopefully continue the tradition of commemorating Stonewall and providing a safe place for locals to have fun.
Stonewall Matchbook - circa 1990, Courtesy of LGBT-023, DCA. (2)
Political Organizing
Homophiles of Penn State
The idea for Homophiles of Penn State came from a non-credit class offered by the “Free University” within Penn State called “Homosexuality: A Growing Subculture.” The founders of the group applied for a charter to be official student organization under the name “The Other Vision: Homophiles of Penn State” but more commonly referred to as Homophiles of Penn State or HOPS.
On April 20, 1971, the Penn State Undergraduate Student Supreme Court decided to give this new group an official charter. They could now use college facilities for events and apply for and receive funding for its activities.
They the administration temporarily revoked HOPS charter to investigate its legality that April. Finally on September 1st, admin revoked the charter because of psychological opinions (homosexuality wasn’t removed from the DSM until 1973). In February of 1972 four students sued the administration under the first and fourteenth amendments. HOPS finally won and was reinstated on January 24, 1973.
While fighting for the charter, HOPS still held meetings and events. The Gay Liberation Festival, one of their biggest events, could be considered the first pride celebration in Central PA. They also brought in speakers from surrounding cities, like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Another notable event was the Gay Awareness Festival on campus, in May of 1979. This organization was disbanded in the early 1980s and would be replaced by various other gay organizations on Penn State's campus. (1)
Spotlight: Joe Acanfora
Being involved in HOPS caused personal legal trouble for Joe Acanfora, who was a student teacher at the time of the lawsuit. He was forced to take legal action to protect student teaching position. When it came time to get his teaching license, he was asked a personal questionnaire to get teaching license in PA had to jump through ridiculous hoops. So, he applied to jobs in Maryland but, he still had to tell the MD school district, which moved him to administration. Eventually MD denied Joe’s return to the classroom. He appealed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals but, his position was terminated and the Upper Court supported the position of the Lower. (1)
Image: Northeast Pennsylvania Gay Alliance (NEPGA) Newsletter, bottom paragraph featuring announcement of HOPS founding, 1979, LGBT-001, Dickinson College Archives
Lehigh Valley Homophile Organization (Le-Hi-Ho)
The Lehigh Valley Homophile Organization, more commonly referred to as Le-Hi-Ho, was established in 1969 to create a social and supportive space for individuals in the gay community. As evident in their constitution, (pictured on the right) the group’s purpose states: “The purpose of this organization is to formulate and achieve the rightful place in society for the homosexually oriented individual.” (2) They published monthly newsletters from 1969 to 1988 that featured various articles relating to social events in the central Pennsylvania area. As well as information ranging from counseling to even medical health services.
Through the organization, they could host events curated explicitly for the gay community about problems that not only plague the LGBTQ+ society, such as alcoholism, mental health issues, and sexual health prevention. Additionally, Le-Hi-Ho often had columns (pictured right) that focused on the progress of the Gay Civil Rights movement in and out of Pennsylvania. They would provide monthly updates on the development of several different legal challenges and societal. (3)
DID YOU KNOW?
Le-Hi-Ho was founded SIX days before the events at Stonewall, demonstrating that the group’s organizing was not intended to be seen as a part of a reactionary force.
Le-Hi-Ho Newsletter, April 1977, LGBT-001, Dickinson College Archives
What is Le-Hi-Ho Flyer, 1969, LGBT- 001, Dickinson College Archives