LGBTQ
Congress brought back earmarks. Now they’re one more point of drama in a divided House.
WASHINGTON — The new Republican chairwoman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee said just before taking over the panel that she planned to “tweak” how the chamber earmarks spending for community projects — coveted state and local funding that members of Congress request. Some of those changes hinted at by Kay Granger of Texas have […]
Massive defense bill approved by U.S. Senate, but deep partisan divide with House looms
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators avoided a heated partisan split as they passed the massive annual defense policy package late Thursday — in stark contrast to the GOP-led House version, in which far-right members included language to restrict abortion access and transgender care for service members. Senators passed the National Defense Authorization Act, 86-11, but lawmakers […]
Parents have no right to allow their children’s gender transition, Republicans say
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on a panel for limited federal government on Thursday argued that parents should not be allowed to let their transgender children have access to gender-affirming care. “A parent has no right to sexually transition a young child,” the chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, […]
LGBTQ project funding in two states stripped by U.S. House Republicans from spending bill
WASHINGTON — In a tense meeting marked by Democratic charges of hatred and bigotry, Republicans on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted Tuesday to strip funding for three LGBTQ community projects, just weeks after they included the money in the annual transportation and housing spending bill. At one point, Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican […]
SCOTUS ruling marks urgency in push for LGBTQ+ rights in Pa. as more challenges loom
‘This is going to unleash a lot more litigation to see just how far this exception to anti-discrimination laws goes’ Vic Walczak, of the Pa. ACLU, said.
After 22 years, LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination legislation clears hurdle in Pa. House
‘Right now, too many Pennsylvanians can legally be discriminated against because of who they are,’ Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta said.
Wolf issues executive order discouraging conversion therapy, urges legislative action
The directive — which does not implement an outright ban — comes amid a surge in anti-gay rhetoric and fears of possible rollbacks to constitutional protections for same-sex relationships after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Senate approves limits on ‘sexually explicit’ content, gender identity discussions in schools
After nearly two hours of debate on Wednesday, the upper chamber voted to send the proposals — introduced by Lancaster Republican Sens. Ryan Aument and Scott Martin — to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Roe’s reversal has healthcare implications for LGBTQ community
'This is the biggest change I have seen in terms how we talk about abortion access and this means we are imagining a new and gender-expansive vision for abortion care,' La’Tasha Mayes said.
Trans Day of Visibility 2022: LGBTQ centers work to support trans and non-binary Pennsylvanians
In a statement issued Wednesday, President Joe Biden officially proclaimed March 31 Transgender Visibility Day in the United States, calling on Americans to “join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating discrimination against all transgender, gender nonconforming, and non-binary people — and all people.”
‘Let our kids play’: Advocates rally for transgender youth at Pa. Capitol
“Trans youth are welcome in Pennsylvania, Trans people belong in Pennsylvania,” Janelle Crossley, one of the state’s most prominent transgender rights advocates, said.
Survey: LGBTQ adults hit harder by food, economic insecurities during pandemic | Tuesday Coffee
Just a day before the Census data drop, the bureau debuted the latest Household Pulse Survey (HPS), a survey used to give researchers deeper insights into American households during the pandemic.