Committee formed to advocate local gay rights bill
Adapted from reporting by Harry Langhorne
After forming in December 1975, the Committee for a Gay Rights Bill began dividing advocacy responsibilities early in the new year. The group was pushing Philadelphia City Council to adopt a gay-rights bill in 1976, after one was defeated the previous year.
Pam Hitchcock led recruiting and organizing for lobbyists from all districts of the city. Barbara Gittings prepared packets of information for the lobbyists.
Harry Langhorne, political reporter for PGN, had the responsibility of rewriting the gay-rights bill and finding sponsors in Council.
Alyce Morgan took on the role of liaison with the National Organization for Women, which is expected to provide major support for the new bill.
The committee formed in response to complaints that previous advocacy efforts for a gay-rights bill did not include enough lesbians and other interested groups.
State police admit entrapment of gay men
Adapted from reporting by PGN staff
In response to nearly five months of pressure from gay activists and the office of Gov. Milton Shapp, Pennsylvania State Police confirmed that “operations” were conducted to entrap and arrest gay men on a variety of sexually oriented charges at selected locations throughout the commonwealth.
The police made the statement through the state Department of Justice.
Police said Troop S, which patrolled interstate highways, claimed the procedures were meant to protect, rather than harass, gay men, who were “subject to violence by local hoods who … hang out at certain locations favored by homosexuals,” usually at highway rest areas.
PGN obtained copies of internal memos that were made available to the governor’s Gay Task Force. In one from October 1975, Deputy Attorney General Glenn Gilman wrote, “It appears that for a period of time ending in August [1975], the majority of Troop S arrests for homosexual activities were initiated by members of the Pennsylvania State Police, and not by third parties.”
Troop S made 45 arrests from 1973 to August 1975, according to information from the DOJ provided to the Gay Task Force.
Gay activist Jerry Brennan of Harrisburg’s Gay Community Services called for a full-scale investigation of the state police by the DOJ.
— compiled by Paige Cooperstein