“The Long Road to LGBTQ+ Equality in Pennsylvania” Exhibit Returns to Campus
By Rachel Nguyen, Contributing Writer
“The Long Road to LGBTQ+ Equality in Pennsylvania” Exhibit was presented on the ground floor of the library on Sept. 27, 2022 and will remain there until Oct. 12, 2022 (Photo Borna Ganji/The Gettysburgian).
The Long Road to LGBTQ+ Equality in Pennsylvania exhibit, which chronicles the efforts of activists in Pennsylvania to achieve full equality for LGBTQ+ people, has returned to Gettysburg after three years. The traveling exhibit opened on Tuesday, Sept. 27, on the Ground Level of Musselman Library.
In 2019, Professor Rachel Lesser from the classics department brought the exhibit to Gettysburg after her visit to Dickinson College. This time, the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC) brought it back to launch its fall program, which ends with National Coming Out Day in October.
Director of the GSRC Amanda Del Gaudio decided to bring the exhibit back to the campus to raise awareness of the history of LGBTQ+ advocacy. The project has been away from campus for three years, so the current cohort of students on-campus has not seen it.
On the comeback of the project, Gaudio emphasized, “The information is always relevant and we want students to be able to learn about it because they are living in Gettysburg, and it’s important to know the history of rights and laws, especially for students who are interested in law or wanting to make a difference in their local laws.”
“The Long Road to LGBTQ+ Equality in Pennsylvania” Exhibit displayed Gettysburg-specific information about LGBTQ+ equality (Photo Borna Ganji/The Gettysburgian).
Program Coordinator of the GSRC Sam Isherwood commented, “This is wonderful because we can make sure with the library open, that there are staff around to make sure you know, everything’s in working order.”
Isherwood continued, “If somebody is down here in the library studying and needs a break, or is on their way to the copier, or to the restroom, they might stop in for a moment and check it out. And it might not have been something that they might have been drawn to intentionally at some point, but for them to be able to interact with it in their own time and space.”
In addition to the original set of the exhibit, the library staff added a supplemental piece about the non-discrimination ordinance passed by Gettysburg Borough Council in 2020.
The exhibition will last from Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, followed by an event for National Coming Out Day. Students who want additional help and information about the center can contact the GSRC.
