The Human Rights Campaign announced its endorsement of a record 47 pro-equality candidates in the Pennsylvania State Legislature. 

“Right now, over 400,000 LGBTQ Pennsylvanians live in a patchwork of protections,” said HRC Pennsylvania State Director Ryan Matthews.“Driving from Philadelphia to Erie, an LGBTQ person would have different rights in every town, city or county they drove through because Pennsylvania is the only state in the northeast without explicit statewide nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people. That must change, and while the Bostock ruling has provided some workplace protections, LGBTQ people still are at risk of discrimination in housing, education, public accommodations or businesses. It’s time we elect a pro-equality General Assembly to join Governor Wolf in passing real reform to improve the lives of LGBTQ Pennsylvanians.”

Today’s endorsements include:

• John Kane (SD-9)

• Janet Diaz Temin (SD-13)

• George Scott (SD-15)

• Sen. Pam Iovino (SD-37)

• Julie Slomski (SD-49)

• Dan Smith (HD-12)

• Richard Ruggieri (HD-13)

• Paul Friel (HD-26)

• Emily Skopov (HD-28)

• Marlene Katz (HD-29)

• Lissa Geiger Shulman (HD-30)

• Sara-Summer Oliphant (HD-39)

• Michele Knoll (HD-44)

• Byron Timmins (HD-46)

• Harlan Shober (HD-48)

• Rep. Steve Malagari (HD-53)

• Rep. Liz Hanbidge (HD-61)

• Dana Gulick (HD-97)

• Patty Smith (HD-104)

• Brittney Rodas (HD-105)

• Lindsay Drew (HD-106)

• Rep. Bridget Kosierowski (HD-114)

• Joanna Bryn Smith (HD-120)

• Kevin Branco (HD-131)

• Lauren Lareau (HD-142)

• Rep. Wendy Ullman (HD-143)

• Gary Spillane (HD-144)

• Robyn Colajezzi (HD-145)

• Rep. Joe Ciresi (HD-146)

• Jill Dennin (HD-147)

• Jonathan Kassa (HD-151)

• Nancy Guenst (HD-152)

• Rep. Danielle Friel Otten (HD-155)

• Rep. Christina Sappey (HD-158)

• Anton Andrew (HD-160)

• Rep. Dave Delloso (HD-162)

• Rep. Mike Zabel (HD-163)

• Rep. Jen O'Mara (HD-165)

• Deb Ciamacca (HD-168)

• Katelind Brennan (HD-173)

• Claudette Williams (HD-176)

• Rep. Joe Hohenstein (HD-177)

• Ann Marie Mitchell (HD-178)

• Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (HD-181)

• Rep. Brian Sims (HD-182)

• Jason Ruff (HD-183)

• Adam Rodriguez (HD-189)

HRC previously announced endorsements of legislative candidates Harold Hayes (HD-18) and Jessica Benham (HD-36).

Pennsylvania is one of 29 states in the country that lack explicit state-level protections for all LGBTQ people. The bipartisan Pennsylvania Fairness Act, which was first introduced in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 2015, would update the state's non-discrimination law to explicitly include protections for LGBTQ people from discrimination at work, in housing, and in public places. With pro-equality majorities in both chambers joining Pennsylvania’s pro-equality governor, this critically important legislation could finally become law. 

In the closing weeks of the 2018 election, HRC had nine staff on the ground organizing the 2.9 million Equality Voters in Pennsylvania. In the midterm elections, HRC members and supporters completed over 1,128 volunteer shifts. In the final four days of GOTV alone, our staff and volunteers knocked on over 5,680 doors. HRC hosted over 246 volunteer events and 26 Equality Action Academy trainings to give HRC members and supporters the tools they need to take action locally in legislative advocacy and in support of pro-equality candidates. In 2018, HRC's unprecedented grassroots mobilization across the country worked to recruit volunteers, mobilize constituents, register voters and grow the organization's grassroots army in an all-out effort to pull the emergency brake on the hateful anti-LGBTQ agenda of the Trump-Pence administration and elect a Congress that would hold them accountable. In 2020, our engagement and mobilization efforts will only deepen. HRC will have at least 45 full-time staff in seven priority states (AZ, MI, NV, OH, PA, TX, and WI) and an additional 20 staff focused on a second tier of states and districts.