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  • History of LGBTQ+ Bars
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    • York, PA
    • Bar Spotlights >
      • 400 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg: Pre-Raids
      • Johnny Kobler's
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      • Silhouette/D-Gem
      • Shadows
      • The Archives
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Bars of the 1980’s
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Bars of the 1990/2000’s
      • Village Tavern Night Club
      • Tally-Ho Tavern/ The Loft
      • Railroad House Bar
      • The Fiddler
      • Sundown Lounge
      • Altland’s Ranch
      • Town Tavern
      • 14 Karat Room
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    • Gender During Gay LIberation
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    • The 1990s
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    • Expansion of Organizations and Activities >
      • Oral Histories and Photos
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    • What is the Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus? >
      • PA Rural Gay Caucus Education Committee
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    • What Happened to the Caucus?
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    • Who's Who?
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    • Emily Newberry
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Coming Out:
Experiences of Transgender, BIPOC, and Others in the LGBTQ+ Community

Eric's Story

Dr. Eric Selvy was an only child living with his mother and grandmother in Harrisburg, PA.  He was a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church as a child into his early adulthood, but eventually stopped going as he became more spiritual than religious and could spread the work of Christ without the need for a church. His early experiences in the church confused him about his sexuality as he received the message that it was wrong, but it was who he was. It was not until he went to earn his doctorate in Philadelphia that he fully accepted his sexuality. He had some experiences prior but coming to Philadelphia showed him that this was what God wanted for him. ​
In Philadelphia during the 1980s, the Neptune bar was a hotspot in the gay community as this was where most people would flock too.  At first, Dr. Selvy was scared to be seen coming and going to the bar, however, he soon realized that these people were going to the bar for the same reason as him and these fears subsided. Towards the late 1980s, Dr. Selvy decided to come out to his grandmother first and then he came out to his mother on Mother’s day when discussing how he got his job at the Harrisburg Human Relations Commission. Both of them were supportive with his mother taking it matter-of-factly. Fortunately for him, he saw no extra struggles with being African American and gay; he did not come out to most people he knew prior to college as he believed they already knew due to his exposure and involvement with the pride festival. 
Dr. Selvy discusses coming out to his grandmother and mother.
Dr. Selvy discusses his involvement with SCAAN as well as what prompted him
​to get involved with the organization. 
​In 1986, he became involved in the Lily White and Company drag troupe, as his current partner was an active member in the troupe. He mostly worked as a choreographer for the troupe, and they would raise money for the South-Central AIDS Assistance Network [SCAAN]. They received support from many of the local bars as much of their advertisement came through word of mouth and were even able to perform at the bars. Dr. Selvy soon began to work for SCAAN, becoming their secretary quite fast, which was his first experience working for the gay community. This came from a desire to help as someone in the local community had died from AIDS and he saw how this death impacted the community and wanted to help in anyway he could.
While at SCAAN, he ran for president and lost, meaning he would also loose his spot on the board of SCAAN. However, Dr. Selvy was chosen by the mayor to fill a vacancy on the Harrisburg Human Relations Commission. He became the gay representative on the commission and was tasked to help increase protection of LGBTQ+ individuals as there was a spike in gay-bashing around the local gay bars. He was also largely involved in ensuring that the drag scene was able to exist at pride. During the 1993 pride festival, there was fear that having the dunk-a-drag booth would be seen as promoting violence against women and that if media coverage saw men wearing dresses, that the public would think that was the “gay-lifestyle”. This caused quite the commotion as many people threated to back out since the pride festival was meant to about unity among the LGBTQ+ community. Eventually, the festival committee restructured itself , these issues were resolved, and the pride festival was moved to Riverfront. ​
Dr. Selvy discusses the work that still needs to be done in Harrisburg,
​as well as Pennsylvania at large for the LGBTQ+ community.

Dr. Selvy (right) at a FAB fundraiser with Ben Dunlap (center) and David Leas (left)
Dr. Selvy (right) at a FAB fundraiser with Ben Dunlap (center) and David Leas (left)
During his travels to San Francisco, Dr. Selvy came across a plethora of LGBTQ+ publications that were available for people to read and wanted to bring this back to Pennsylvania as they only LGBTQ+ publications they had were from Philadelphia. So, he along with another individual decided to create a publication providing news, feature stories and information about the Harrisburg area LGBTQ+ community that people could submit their writings to in order to get people proud of the Harrisburg community. They published bimonthly issues and handed them out the at the 1995 and 1996 pride festivals. They ended up shutting the magazine down a year later due to it being too much to handle but it focused largely on general issues in the LGBTQ+ community as well as the impact of AIDS.

​Recently, Dr. Selvy has noticed an increase in the pride people have in their identity, but also the ability for them to be outward and visibly proud of being LGBTQ+. He has also noticed an increase in visibly of the drag community in the area as well as people being able to be who they are. He also notes the lack of statewide anti-discrimination laws in Pennsylvania, but that there is an increase in support for LGBTQ+ people.
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P.O. Box 5629
Harrisburg, PA 17110

(717) 409-5781
info@centralpalgbtcenter.org

© COPYRIGHT 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • The Long Road
    • Beginning >
      • Early Experiences
    • Philadelphia >
      • Philadelphia Part 2
    • Harrisburg >
      • Harrisburg Experiences
    • Lancaster >
      • Lancaster Experiences
    • York >
      • York Experiences
    • Allentown
    • Montgomery >
      • Montgomery Experiences
      • Montgomery Part 2
    • Work Continues >
      • Current Challenges
    • Acknowledgments
  • With Open Hearts & Open Arms
    • Gay LIfe in Pre-Castro Cuba/Homophobia/What's In a Name? Part 1
    • What's in a Name? Part 1 Continued/UMAP/Mattachine Society
    • Leftist Gays in the US/The Mariel Boatlift
    • The Mariel Boatlift Part 2/Resettlement Camps
    • Resettlement Continued/Press Coverage
    • Immigration/What's In a Name? Part 2
    • LGBTQ+ Organizing
    • The Mariel Generation/Life in PA
    • The Eromin Center/Impact of AIDS
    • AIDS in Cuba/LGBTQ+ Rights in Cuba
    • Acknowledgements
  • Stories of Discrimination
    • Hate Crimes >
      • Anita Bryant
      • Escalating Violence
      • Appalachian Trail
      • Bookstore Bombings
    • Employment Discrimination >
      • Blacklisted
      • "Moral Turpitude"
      • Elected
      • Traumatized and penalized
      • Other Stories of Employment Discrimination
    • Transgender Discrimination >
      • High School Experiences
      • Other Stories of Transgender Discrimination
    • Housing and Property Discrimination >
      • Vision of Hope MCC
    • Conclusion
  • We Believe?
    • Early Expereriences
    • Coming Out
    • LGBTQ+ Groups >
      • Religious Life
      • Social Life
      • Political Life
    • Faith and Identity
    • LGBTQ+ Clergy
    • Responses: Backlash
    • Responses: Acceptance
    • Looking Forward
  • Duty, Honor, Pride
    • Vietnam War Era >
      • Investigations
    • Post-Vietnam Experiences
    • "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy >
      • Personal Experiences
      • Criticisms
      • Repeal
    • Closing >
      • Citations
  • History of LGBTQ+ Bars
    • Bars of the 1950s & 1960s
    • Bars of the 1970s
    • Bars of the 1980s
    • Bars of the 1990s & 2000s
    • Harrisburg, PA
    • Lancaster, PA
    • York, PA
    • Bar Spotlights >
      • 400 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg: Pre-Raids
      • Johnny Kobler's
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Friendly Bars of the 1960s
      • The Neptune Lounge
      • The Strawberry Inn
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Bars of the 1970’s
      • Silhouette/D-Gem
      • Shadows
      • The Archives
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Bars of the 1980’s
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Bars of the 1990/2000’s
      • Village Tavern Night Club
      • Tally-Ho Tavern/ The Loft
      • Railroad House Bar
      • The Fiddler
      • Sundown Lounge
      • Altland’s Ranch
      • Town Tavern
      • 14 Karat Room
  • Gender Identity and Gender Expression
    • Terminology
    • Early Years: Impersonation
    • Entertaining for a Cause
    • Gender During Gay LIberation
    • Medical Classification
    • Rise of Publications and Organizations
    • The 1990s
    • Advocacy and Visibility
    • Expansion of Organizations and Activities >
      • Oral Histories and Photos
    • Where We Are Now
  • LGBTQ+ Art and Artists
    • Jude Sharp
    • Paul Foltz
    • Inspired
    • Aries and the Gay Era
  • The Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus
    • What is the Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus? >
      • PA Rural Gay Caucus Education Committee
    • Where were these groups located?
    • Gay Lobby Day
    • Important People
    • Pushback Against Opposition
    • What Happened to the Caucus?
  • Early LGBTQ+ Activism
    • Life Before Stonewall
    • Who's Who?
    • Richard Schlegel
    • Social Organizations
    • Effects of Stonewall on Central PA
    • Political Organizing
    • Rifts in the Movement
    • Read All About It!
  • Coming Out
    • Emily Newberry
    • Joanne Carrol
    • Amanda Hecker
    • Mara Kiesling
    • Maria Warren
    • Shaka Hudson
    • Lindsay Snowden
    • David Payne
    • Dr. Eric Selvy
    • Heidi Notario
    • Tammy de Sol
    • Cindy Lou Mitzel
    • LGBTQ+ Support Groups
  • Out on Campus
    • Acknowledgments
    • Bryn Mawr
    • HBCUs
    • Lafayette College
    • BCCC
    • Penn State
    • UPenn
    • Pitt
    • Lehigh University
    • Shippensburg University
    • HACC
  • Other Resources