LGBT History Project of the LGBT Center of Central PA Located at Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/ Documents Online Title: Gay Era (Lancaster, PA) Date: December 1977 Location: LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection Periodicals Collection Contact: LGBT History Project Archives & Special Collections Waidner-Spahr Library Dickinson College P.O. Box 1773 Carlisle, PA 17013 717-245-1399 [email protected] f t I I Al IS "A Monthly Publication Serving 'Rural' Pennsylvania" DECEMBER 1977 vol. 3 no. 8 5Oc p ' THAT* "BLASPHEMOUS" Lb kPOEM_s&- pF J|r the SexuaLOutlaw iMen Leming Men f SAW DADDY 4 KISSING - lny ■B Ml SAAZ77I CLAUS a ose open daily 4p.m.-2a.m. DANCING 400 NO. SECOND ST. flAQDISBUDG, PA. Now under new ownership— —formerly “The Dandelion Tree” . In the News the Governor's Council for Sexual personal conduct, freely chosen, NATIONAL GAY BLUE JEANS DAY Minorities. which is morally offensive and frank­ The Americus Hotel in Allentown ly obnoxious to the vast majority of HELD IN STATE COLLEGE suddenly reversed its decision two local citizens." months after it had agreed to host The Mayor and City Council also by Dave Leas look with disfavor on the proposed Gay Era staff the conference. This decision was made by the hotel's owner; the man­ bill and are unwilling to sponsor ager who had originally agreed to it. But a group called the "Lehigh the conference is no longer employed Valley Coalition for Human Rights" If you didn't notice, or remember, has been formed and is gathering October 14 was National Gay Blue by the Americus. In the two months the Americus support statements, probing the Jeans Day. This peculiar Gay holiday Council, and preparing to introduce started a few years ago as a form of Hotel owner took to reverse its decision, most of the alternative the gay rights bill shortly after consciousness raising in the gay as the elections. well as straight communities. sites have been filled. The confer­ Gay Blue Jeans Day worked a bit ence, therefore,will not only have to like this: It was announced and switch its locale, but most likely LESBIANS ON TRIAL its date as well. highly publicized (especially on col­ NEED YOUR SUPPORT lege campuses) as the day when all The decision was also made during the period when the negotiations Gays would wear blue jeans. As DETROIT — Two Black Lesbians could be expected, non-gays wore were still being conducted, before a contract had been signed. The will go on trial January 3» because something other than blue jeans or they stood up for their right to be wore them anyhow and took a bit of caucus was supposed to meet with the manager to go over the final de­ gay, to live with each other, and flak from their straight friends. to raise their children in peace. According to Chris Miller, editor tails prior to the signing of the contract. On several days that this Cynthia R. and Deborah P. (full of ZAP, the newsletter for the State names withheld to protect their College Gay Community, "There were meeting had been schedulted, the caucus was told that the manager was jobs) had been subjected to weeks many fewer blue jeans that day, and of harassment by their anti-gay many more khakis and painter's pants, out sick with a cold. Finally the caucus was infomred that the manager landlady and her two daughters. The not to mention double-knits and ter­ harassment included verbal abuse rible plaids. And some dresses." "no longer worked for the Americus," and that Mr. Moffa, the owner, had and physical attacks which has the Some people complained that their cooperation of the police. When they right to wear blue jeans was being refused to accomodate the conference. The Americus was closen over defended themselves they were ar­ violated. Jean Guertler, President rested and charged with felonious of Homophiles of Penn State (HOPS), other hotels because of Allentown's ■central location in the state and assault. wrote in a letter to ZAP, "I don't The landlady started harassing hear many complaints about one's because the hotel was the site for the Pennsylvania NOW convention. Cynthia and Deborah after she eaves­ rights to wear green on St. Patrick's dropped on a private conversation Day, unless, of course, that day Joseph Burns, co-chair of the Rural Caucus stated, " It is without and found out they were lesbians. falls on a Thursday." Last July 4, the landlady's 16-year- Much to everyone's surprise in doubt the most open and glaring example of discrimination against old daughter started an argument State College, HOPS received their with one of the gay women by calling October Action Report from the Nat­ gays we can document in the state. Under private, unincorporated owner­ her derogatory names in front of her ional Gay Task Force (NGTF) after children. The gay woman was physic­ Gay Blue Jeans Day was held. In the ship, without the existence of a written contract, and without a gay ally threatened by both the daugh­ report, the NGTF announced that they ter and her boyfriend. Later that decided to hold off the day until rights amendment in the local or state governments, their discrimina­ evening, another daughter, 22-year- next spring. The two reasons they old Sharon Stuggs, sat on the porch gave were : 1) they feel college cam­ tion is legal." A possible reason for the Amer­ with a butcher knife threatening the puses are still the best place to two women as they came and went. hold gay jeans day; and 2) they feel icus' about-face could be the cur­ rent battle among the citizenry of The gay women started carrying spring is more appropriate than fall Allentown over a proposed gay rights knives to protect themselves. The for gay jeans days. ordinance (see November, Gay Era, landlady called the police on them. page 6). A group termed Citizens The police said the landlady's ALLENTOWN BATTLE: Organized for Decency (C.O.D.) family had a right to sit on their STATE CONFERENCE IN LIMBO formed specifically to oppose the property with a butcher knife, but ordinance suggested by Allentown's the gay women could not carry knivesi. by Harry H Long Human Relation's Connission. C.O.D. During the following weeks, Cyn­ Gay Era staff has also been joined by the Citi­ thia, Deborah, and their four'chil- zen's Caucus which is self-identi­ dren, aged six through nine, were Already cancelled due to an over- fied as conservative politically. constantly threatened and Insulted optimistic timetable, the second Following Dade County tactics, with physical harm. Then, on August state-wide gay conference is once the Citizens Caucus ran an ad head­ 24, the landlady's daughters began more in limbo. The Americus Hotel ed: "Gay Rights or Perversion Per­ throwing bricks at the children and has refused to accomodate the event mit?" in the local papers. The ad their dog as they played in the which was to be held in January un­ cited Bryant's campaign and "reject­ front yard. When Deborah came down der the joint sponsorship of the ed the view that homosexuality is a to see what was happening, she was Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus and civil right... its... a form of attacked with a butcher knife by Sharon Stuggs. She was cut seriously on the arm, and had to be taken to the hospital. At the hospital, the police said Deborah could sign a complaint. But when the police learned that Deborah was a lesbian, they told her that (she could not sign the complaint. They went along with the landlady's story that Deborah had started the trouble, even though she was the on­ ly one hurt. The police, in effect, gave the landlady's family a green light to attack the gay family. The qay women had no choice but to take their defense into their own hands. Another confrontation took place the next day. This time Cynthia and Deborah defended themselves. This caped without Injury; six men were mitted that such a padlock might time the landlady's daughters got hospitalized and one of them remains have been lost as firefighters broke hurt. This time the police came in criticial condition. The cuase of through the door. right away and arrested Cynthia and the blaze is as yet unknown. A Wash- One survivor of the fire remem­ Deborah for felonious assault. ington Post account described the bered that he "held that lock in my During their questioning, Cynthia day after the fire as having "the hand — it was heavy brass or else and Deborah were verbally abused by grim, burned out appearance appro­ a brass-colored padlock. It was the the cops and told that gay people priate to a death trap." type you would put a key in from the are always causing trouble. However, The Cinema Follies blaze comes bottom to open it. When I held that the District Attorney was forced to four months after fire destroyed lock in may hand I was very angry. also charge Sharon Stuggs with fel­ the Everard Baths in New York City. I cannot explain the rage I felt at onious assault for her attack on In the Everard tragedy, which took that moment." Deborah, since it was clear she had place last May 25, nine men lost provoked the whole incident. thier lives while 10 others were — Gay Community News When they went home after being injured.