First Gay Lobby Day in Harrisburg
Adapted from reporting by M. David Stein
About 80 gay activists met with nearly as many state legislators March 23, 1976, in Harrisburg for the first Gay Lobby Day, organized by the Gay Rural Caucus.
The lobbying took place one day after state Reps. Norman Berson, a Philadelphia Democrat, and Joseph Rhodes, an Allegheny County Democrat, introduced a gay-rights bill.
Participants were divided into teams to tackle lawmakers from their home regions. The Pittsburgh group met with 23 legislators, while the Philadelphia contingent met with about 30.
In a half-hour discussion with lobbyists, state Sen. Thomas Nolan, a Pittsburgh-area Democrat, said the gay-rights bill wouldn’t pass in the Senate while he served as majority leader. He supported a bill that would prevent gay people from holding jobs in mental health and physical rehabilitation, among other areas where bodily contact was an occupational necessity.
“There were no startling success stories and no embarrassing gaffes,” Stein reported of the overall experience, “just a lot of hard work that may have a modest reward next time the Assembly votes on bills affecting Pennsylvania gays.”
ACLU takes case of out Delaware professor
Adapted from reporting by PGN staff
The American Civil Liberties Union entered the case of Richard Aumiller, the openly gay University of Delaware faculty member who was being threatened with dismissal because of his sexual orientation.
The ACLU filed suit Feb. 20, 1976, in U.S. District Court against the university, its president Dr. Edward A. Trabant and a number of other administrative officials.
The suit alleged Aumiller, who worked as theater director at the university, was denied his constitutional rights to free speech, free association and due process of law. It asked for Aumiller to be reinstated to his job and for $150,000 in compensatory and punitive damages and court costs.
Aumiller, 26, was hired in the fall of 1975. Soon after, he began advising the university’s 80-member Gay Community group. University officials said Aumiller’s writings about “gay lifestyles” in school and local newspapers “gave the impression that the university sanctions homosexuality,” which the school deemed unacceptable.