Supporting LGBTQIA+ Rights
Joe is a steadfast advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community. During his two terms in office, he has proven himself to be a reliable ally in Harrisburg. Joe has spoken out against the discriminatory legislation being introduced by his Republican colleagues, such as the recent attempts to ban trans athletes from competing in K-12 school sports, and he has has been a vocal supporter of passing statewide nondiscrimination protections. He is one of the sponsors of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus’ PA Fairness Act.
Pennsylvania is currently home to an estimated 416,000 LGBTQIA+ adults and approximately 74,000 LGBTQIA+ youth, however their rights vary drastically depending upon the town, city, or county in which they reside. While Pennsylvania offers some protections for LGBTQIA+ people, it does not have the same breadth of laws and policies enacted in other states.
Pennsylvania’s statewide nondiscrimination law does not expressly include protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in its current form. Likewise, Pennsylvania lacks several other types of supportive laws and policies that have been enacted in other states across the country, such as an LGBTQIA+ inclusive hate crimes law, LGBTQIA+ inclusive anti-bullying policies, and a ban on the practice of conversion therapy.
According to a recent report by the Williams Institute at UCLA’s Law School, 46% of LGBTQIA+ respondents from Pennsylvania reported experiencing at least one form of harassment (verbal, physical, or sexual harassment) at work because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Discrimination at the local, state, and federal levels concretely impacts LGBTQIA+ people from an early age causing disproportionately high rates of rates of homelessness, incarceration, and substance abuse among LGBTQIA+ youth. We simply must do more to end intolerance and bigotry in our society.
It is time we pass real reforms to provide equal protection for all Pennsylvanians regardless of how they identify or who they love.
Joe is endorsed by the Liberty City LBGTQ Democratic Club:
The membership of Liberty City LGBT+ Democratic Club, the only organization in Philadelphia exclusively committed to organizing LGBT+ Democrats, has proudly endorsed Joe to be a champion for the LGBT+ community in office.