Ashleigh Strange: Shapiro administration will remain stalwart for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians

“Be Who You Are” by Todd Parr, a picture book for children that encourages them to embrace who they are inside, was selected for a drag queen story hour at the Lancaster Area Public Library. Lancaster Pride had made plans to host on March 23 — just a week before International Transgender Day of Visibility. That story hour never took place, because of security concerns. Bomb threats were made toward organizers, the library and others.

The Shapiro administration strongly condemns the threats made against the LGBTQ+ community in Lancaster last month. We’re relieved that everyone is safe and physically unharmed in Lancaster City, but we know that intimidations of violence aimed at the LGBTQ+ community are a threat all across Pennsylvania.

As Gov. Josh Shapiro often says, “no matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love, or who you pray to — you have a place here in Pennsylvania.” This is not just a statement of belief, but a call to action for all of us to put in the work to make sure everyone feels seen, heard and protected.

While we confront these threats with strength and pride, we also continue to make progress here in Pennsylvania. I am proud to celebrate, with the Shapiro administration, the fact that the State Boards of Psychology and Osteopathic Medicine have adopted statements of policy condemning the practice of conversion therapy. These statements of policy are a major step that further ensure the safety and protection of LGBTQ+ youth in Pennsylvania.

Conversion therapy is a widely discredited, pseudoscientific practice that poses significant health risks to LGBTQ+ youth. Recent research from the Trevor Project finds that LGBTQ+ young people who have undergone conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to have reported attempting suicide in the previous year as compared to their peers. Democratic state Rep. Jessica Benham of Allegheny County introduced state House Bill 575, along with co-sponsors Reps. Dan Frankel, Arvind Venkat, Dan Miller, Emily Kinkead and Nicholas Pisciottano, to address this discredited practice across the commonwealth. It is one of several legislative efforts to support the LGBTQ+ community that the administration stands behind.

The Shapiro administration supports the health and well-being of all Pennsylvanians, and we are hopeful that the state boards of Medicine, Nursing and Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors will follow suit and adopt standard operating procedures to condemn the practice of conversion therapy in the commonwealth. These statements from the licensure boards will show that the voices of LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians, advocates and commissioners are heard, respected and protected in the commonwealth.

LGBTQ+ culture is a part of the Pennsylvania tapestry, and LGBTQ+ families and their allies deserve to have enriching experiences in their communities that align with their values. I was honored to celebrate with LGBTQ+ families and allies across the commonwealth a few weeks ago during Transgender Day of Visibility celebrations in our state Capitol, Bethlehem, Allentown, Wilkes-Barre and Lancaster.

In Lancaster, I had the opportunity to connect with my fellow transgender siblings and allies and show support for their community during an unsettling moment. While we stood in Penn Square, every balloon pop, helicopter overhead and car backfire made people nervous. Yet in the face of hate, the people of Lancaster came closer together to stand tall for their fellow Pennsylvanians.

I am proud to work closely with an administration that is actively fighting to make sure LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians have more safe spaces to express themselves. Shapiro has been a dedicated champion for Pennsylvanians’ freedoms, standing up for the rights of LGBTQ+ children and families and calling on the Pennsylvania Legislature to pass the Fairness Act to ensure LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians receive equal protections under the law.

I will continue to be a voice for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians in state government. I’ll continue to advocate for policies that help expand protections for our most vulnerable communities and make sure they know there is a seat at the table of this administration for us.

Ashleigh Strange is executive director of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on LGBTQ Affairs.