Post submitted by Ianthe Metzger, Former Press Secretary, State & Local 

Today, HRC responded to Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Paul Mango’s support for discriminatory laws that would bar transgender people from using public restrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

“These outrageous comments are disqualifying,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC’s Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs. “To be clear, Paul Mango is proposing to take Pennsylvania down the same path of anti-LGBTQ discrimination that has wracked North Carolina since the passage of their infamous HB2 law. In North Carolina, HB2 not only put countless LGBTQ people at risk, it resulted in a surge of hate violence and at least $886.4 million in economic losses as business fled the state. It also, notably, led to the defeat of the governor who signed it into law. On top of that, Paul Mango is running on a platform of defunding Planned Parenthood, one of the most crucial health care providers for the LGBTQ community. Paul Mango would do well to remember there are 360,000 LGBTQ voters -- and millions more allies across the state of Pennsylvania -- who won't stand for these kinds of attacks on our community and our health care.”