To Come Out or Not to Come Out…

Gay Era, March 1978, Courtesy of LGBT-001, Dickinson College Archives. (1)

​People disagreed about the role of coming out and whether being visible or not would secure LGBTQ+ liberation. 


​Who could be visible?

What purpose did visibility serve?
 

“Flying in the face of respectability..”

Did LGBTQ+ people need to present a certain way to make progress?

Some people felt expressions of sexuality threatened an “respectable” image of LGBTQ+ people. There was a fear the community appeared too radical.

“[Drum Magazine] was flying in the face of respectability…

Clark [Polack] came along and just slammed that to the ground and went charging ahead.

​Clark made them laugh, gave them pretty naked boys to look at…” (3)

​DRUM magazine was a controversial gay publication which included nude photos. Read more about the history of the magazine and its impact on the Central PA LGBTQ+ community on our Richard Schlegel page.

Gay Era, April 1976, Courtesy of LGBT-001, Dickinson College Archives. (2)

Citations

1. Gay Era, Newsletter, March 1978, LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection Periodicals Collection, LGBT History Project, Archives and Special Collections, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA.

2. Gay Era, Newsletter, April 1976, LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection Periodicals Collection, LGBT History Project, Archives and Special Collections, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA.

3. ​Transcription of oral history interview with Richard Schlegel, May 11, 1993, LGBT-081, LGBT History Project, Archives and Special Collections, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA.