Williamsport Area Clergy Unite for LGBT Nondiscrimination Protections
Watch faith leaders in the greater Williamsport area of North Central Pennsylvania talk about the urgency of now to advance LGBT nondiscrimination legislation. Pennsylvania Values has secured supportive statements from all the Episcopal, Methodist, and Lutheran Bishops of Pennsylvania. Visit our webpage for support from our faith communities on the Pennsylvania Values website here.
Former Republican State Rep. Mike Fleck on Coming Out in Huntingdon County
Former State Representative Mike Fleck of rural southern Huntingdon County shares his story here about coming out as an elected official, and the urgency of not to protect rural and small town LGBT Pennsylvanians from discrimination.
Michael Bugbee Experiences Housing Discrimination in Shippensburg
Michael Bugbee is a college student at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, in south central PA. He shares his story here about trying to find housing in town and being denied, and then eventually finding a place to live with his husband. However, when his landlord found out he was gay after moving in, he was told to move. Michael’s story is not uncommon in Pennsylvania, even today.
Amanda Carter on Being a Black Queer Woman in Harrisburg
Amanda Carter is the Director of Youth Programs at the LGBT Center of Central Pennsylvania. She shares her story here about navigating life in Harrisburg and the struggles of young LGBT people in Central PA.
AJ Thayer on Coming Out as Trans in the Poconos
AJ Thayer of Monroe County is a young trans man who shares his story of growing up in the Poconos. He talks about the urgency of now to advance LGBT nondiscrimination legislation, featuring his mother Catherine Thayer and Camp Papillon founder Gerri Papillon.
Sean and Lee on Raising a Family in Fayette County
Sean and Lee of Fayette County talk about their lives as parents of their newborn baby and the urgency to advance LGBT nondiscrimination legislation in PA. LGBT families in rural and small towns in Pennsylvania, which don’t have local protections, are scared every day for their children and their livelihoods. We need statewide nondiscrimination protections for the 2/3 of LGBT Pennsylvanians who live in communities without them.
Hannah Smith-Brubaker on Taking a Chance and Raising a Family in Juniata County
In a few short weeks, my daughter will turn 21 years old. She and her 16 year-old brother count among the very best of the best as human beings, as friends to each other and as shining examples of what happens when we can push through the barriers of discrimination.
I was born the same year…[CLICK HERE TO READ MORE]
Accountant Dan Miller was Fired for Being Gay in Cumberland County
In the early 1990s, Dan Miller was a young accountant from Harrisburg who was fired for being gay. His story made national headlines, including in the New Yorker.
In 1994, Dan testified before a US Congressional committee on his experience with anti-gay discrimination in Cumberland County. His testimony is below.
Until a comprehensive LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination…[CLICK HERE TO READ MORE]
Melissa DeStefano on being a Mom of a Trans Teen in Montgomery County
I had hoped that my son would wait until after high school to come out as transgender. But I realized I’d prefer a thriving son over a dead daughter.
When I gave birth to my first baby, the doctor said, “It’s a girl!” Before I even knew my child, those words helped me imagine the future….[CLICK HERE TO READ MORE]
Anthony Bullet on Racism and Homophobia in Huntingdon
When I was young several of my relatives lived on an unpaved street. I had to write letters to the editor in our local newspaper to get our street paved. It was unfair to these residents to have a road that was unpaved.
My focus has always been on equality — when we work towards….[CLICK HERE TO READ MORE]