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

HRC announced it will endorse Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf for reelection at an event tomorrow, Friday, June 15, at 1:30pm at the William Way LGBTQ Center in Philadelphia. HRC President Chad Griffin and the Governor will be joined by Malcolm Kenyatta, openly LGBTQ State House Candidate; Kira Kinsman, Board member of Equality Pennsylvania; Brian Sims, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 182; and LGBTQ advocate Gina Cline. To RSVP or for more details, email Ianthe.Metzger@hrc.org. 

“Throughout his career, Governor Wolf has stood shoulder to shoulder with LGBTQ Pennsylvanians — fighting for fairness and equality,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “He has championed LGBTQ rights in the Keystone State, and been a tireless advocate for every person’s ability to work and live free from discrimination and harassment. Every day, governor wolf is fighting hard with state and local partners to pass the crucial Pennsylvania Fairness Act. HRC is proud to endorse Governor Wolf’s bid for reelection, and we look forward to continuing to fight side by side for equality across the commonwealth.” 

“I am truly honored to accept the Human Rights Campaign endorsement,” said Governor Wolf. “Throughout the last three years, they have been an important partner as we’ve fought to protect the rights of our LGBTQ community and ensure that Pennsylvania is inclusive, welcoming, and open for business for everyone.  We have made progress, but I know that there is still more work to be done to ensure the rights of the LGBTQ community are protected. I am committed to continuing to advance the rights of the LGBTQ community and will keep fighting for a statewide anti-discrimination bill.”

Governor Wolf is a strong supporter of SB 613, the Pennsylvania Fairness Act. The bipartisan measure, 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. Dozens of Pennsylvania municipalities have passed separate ordinances to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, including Pittsburgh, Lancaster and Philadelphia.
Governor Wolf has also used his office to advance equality through executive orders prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ people within state government and among its contractors and grantees. He is a long-time supporter of marriage equality; safer schools; improving access to care for LGBTQ people and those living with HIV; and ending the dangerous and debunked practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” Governor Wolf has also appointed several members of the LGBTQ community to key positions within his administration, including the nation’s first transgender state level cabinet appointment, Dr. Rachel Levine, the state’s Secretary of Health and Physician General.

In Pennsylvania, HRC has identified more than 2.3 million “Equality Voters” -- voters who support LGBTQ-inclusive policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in Pennsylvania in the 2018 cycle, and has already put four staff members and resources on the ground in the state. Last year, HRC announced a coast-to-coast campaign called HRC Rising, which represents the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.