Its short existence notwithstanding, the caucus was a powerful political force in gay activism in the commonwealth between 1975 and 1978. Combining the voices of about a dozen small groups from the rural areas of Pennsylvania turned out to be as powerful as activist efforts in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Members of the caucus created change not only in broad strokes across the commonwealth but also at a local level in their own communities.
Burton, William, and Barry Loveland. Out in Central Pennsylvania: The History of an LGBTQ Community. Penn State University Press, 2020. pg. 101
Over the years, the Caucus struggled with a lack of funding and research. Governor Shapp left office in 1979. The new Pennsylvania State Governor, Governor Thornburgh, had little interest in continuing it. The council became largely inactive by the 80s, although the committee and caucus was used briefly for investigating AIDS policies and research. The caucus was largely replaced, however, by a new organization, the Pennsylvania Lesbian/Gay Support Network formed in 1978. Still, during its years of operation the Caucus was successful in protecting state employees from discrimination, groundbreaking in mobilizing the gay rural vote, and indelible in its contribution to the LGBT movement in Pennsylvania that still reverberates today.