Editor’s note: In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Philadelphia Gay News, the paper will run weekly highlights from the first year of its printing in 1976. This week’s nostalgic news comes from the January 1976 issue. PGN published monthly until 1978 and bi-weekly until 1982, when it went weekly.
Gay News begins publication
Philadelphia Gay News published its first issue Jan. 3, 1976, after the franchise was purchased the previous November from publishing firm PGN Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh.
Keith Clark and Mark Segal purchased it, with Clark serving as the original editor and Segal as business and advertising manager. Clark had worked with the Denver Post, Philadelphia Inquirer and The Advocate before joining PGN. Segal was a national LGBT activist.
PGN Inc. also published the Ohio East Gay News, covering Cleveland and Akron, and the Pittsburgh Gay News. Ohio East and Pittsburgh later stopped publishing.
The first issue had 36 pages. The cover featured an illustration of Dr. Walter J. Lear, the first out public official from the Philadelphia area and coordinator of the Gay Public Health Caucus.
The paper described itself as a monthly publication, noting a goal to publish every two weeks. It cost 50 cents on newsstands with distribution in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Allentown, Reading, Harrisburg, Princeton, Camden, Atlantic City and Wilmington.
The publication’s first offices were at 2220 Spruce St.
Community center finds a home
Adapted from reporting by Karen Martin
The Gay Community Center of Philadelphia, which became the William Way LGBT Community Center, signed a lease for a building at 326 Kater St.
The two-story structure had bathrooms and air conditioning, but needed substantial renovations before it could become habitable. Plans at the time called for subdividing the open areas into small offices.
Community center organizers applied for a tax-credit exemption as a nonprofit.
Early programs included health clinics, discussion groups, a lecture series, film program and dances.
The community center also set aside space for other gay groups and organizations to meet.
Gay-rights bill dies, another in preparation
Adapted from reporting by Harry Langhorne
When it became clear that Philadelphia City Councilman Melvin Greenberg was not going to bring out of committee a bill to protect residents from discrimination based on sexual orientation, a group called Dyketactics led a disturbance at City Council.
During a Dec. 4, 1975, meeting, they chanted “Free 1275,” referring to the number of the bill.
The protesters were all cleared from the room, though none was arrested. No injuries were reported.
Planning began soon after for the introduction of a new anti-discrimination bill. The lobbying team behind the original bill determined that not enough people knew about it; lesbians, in particular, felt excluded from efforts to pass an anti-discrimination bill.
Councilman Lucien Blackwell expressed willingness to serve as the primary sponsor for the new bill. Four other members were considered likely co-sponsors.
— compiled by Paige Cooperstein