Transgender Pennsylvanians call for more protections on ‘Day of Visibility’
TOM. WELL, LORI, WHAT THEY’RE CONCERNED ABOUT IS A BILL THAT WAS PASSED JUST LAST WEEK BY A SENATE COMMITTEE DEALING WITH TRANSGENDER ATHLETES AND WHICH SPORTS TEAMS THEY CAN PLAY ON. BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE HERE AT THE CAPITOL TODAY. TRANS PENNSYLVANIANS SAID THAT THEY WANT TO SEE LAWMAKERS PASS LEGISLATION INSTEAD. THAT WOULD BAR DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THEIR COMMUNITY. A CROWD OF TRANSGENDER PENNSYLVANIANS AND THEIR ALLIES CALLED ON LAWMAKERS TO PASS STRONGER PROTECTIONS FOR A POPULATION THEY SAY WILL NO LONGER BE INVISIBLE. I DECIDED TO JUST COME HERE TODAY TO JUST SHARE MY STORY AND HOPE THAT IT RESONATES WITH SOMEBODY IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. THE RALLY CALLED FOR MORE PROTECTIONS TO BE ENSHRINED IN PENNSYLVANIA LAW FOR TRANSGENDER PENNSYLVANIANS, BUT IT ALSO COMES DAYS AFTER SENATE LAWMAKERS ADVANCED LEGISLATION TO BAR TRANSGENDER GIRLS AND WOMEN FROM PLAYING ON GIRLS AND WOMEN’S SPORTS TEAMS. PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER KEEPING MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS WAS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND THIS LEGISLATION FURTHER PROTECTS YOUNG GIRLS WHO WANT TO FAIRLY COMPETE IN WOMEN’S SPORTS. BUT SOME ARGUE THAT THE NUMBER OF TRANS ATHLETES IN PENNSYLVANIA IS VERY LOW, AND LAWMAKERS SHOULD FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ELSEWHERE. MY HOPE IS THAT PEOPLE IN OFFICE WILL UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE OF FAITH REALLY WANT EVERYBODY TO TREAT PEOPLE WELL, TO SHOW THEM LOVE AND KINDNESS, TO EMBRACE THEM, NOT TO BE DEMONIZING PEOPLE AND MAKING AN EASY OTHER THAT IS AN EASY TARGET SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, STIR PEOPLE UP. HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA, THE COURTS ARE ALSO GOING TO BE WEIGHING A LAWSUIT THAT ESSENTIALLY CHALLENGES THE SEX BASED DISCRIMINATION POLICY ADOPTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION AND ITS EXPANSION TO INCLUDE MEMBERS OF THE LGBT. EXCUSE ME, LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY.
Transgender Pennsylvanians call for more protections on ‘Day of Visibility’
Updated: 8:50 PM EDT Mar 31, 2025
With actions at the federal level and state level on their minds, transgender Pennsylvanians and their allies on Monday rallied for Transgender Day of Visibility at the state capitol, calling on more protections for themselves and the LGBTQ+ community. The event saw speakers call for lawmakers to enshrine prohibitions against discrimination based on their gender identity, something currently covered by regulation under the expansion of sex-based discrimination by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.”I just decided to come here today and hope that it resonates with somebody in some shape or form,” said Hailey Dunn, a transgender woman from Lancaster County who spoke at the event about their experience and challenges in how people reacted to their identity.Passing such protections would be key, as the expanded definition of sex-based discrimination is currently being challenged in state courts.The event also took place less than a week after state Senate lawmakers on the chamber’s education committee passed a bill laying down strict divisions based on biological sex for non-coed school and collegiate sports teams and explicitly barring transgender girls and women from playing on girls’ and women’s sports teams.Supporters of the bill said they were trying to protect the competitive fairness of women’s sports, pointing to the performance of former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas as examples of where some transgender women have unfair advantages.”President Trump’s order keeping men out of women’s sports was a step in the right direction. This legislation further protects young girls who want to compete in women’s sports,” said Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York County, during last week’s committee meeting.For some at the event, like Pastor Angelique Chelton with Pilgrims Mennonite Church in Lancaster County, the focus on transgender athletes was unfair to what is a small population of those playing sports across the country.That scrutiny, Chelton said, could have a long-lasting impact on the well-being of many young transgender individuals who are concerned about being accepted in the community.”My hope is that people in office is that people in office will realize that people of faith want people really want everybody to treat people well, to show them love and kindness and not demonize them and not make an easy other—an easy target to stir people up,” she said.
HARRISBURG, Pa. —With actions at the federal level and state level on their minds, transgender Pennsylvanians and their allies on Monday rallied for Transgender Day of Visibility at the state capitol, calling on more protections for themselves and the LGBTQ+ community.
The event saw speakers call for lawmakers to enshrine prohibitions against discrimination based on their gender identity, something currently covered by regulation under the expansion of sex-based discrimination by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.
“I just decided to come here today and hope that it resonates with somebody in some shape or form,” said Hailey Dunn, a transgender woman from Lancaster County who spoke at the event about their experience and challenges in how people reacted to their identity.
Passing such protections would be key, as the expanded definition of sex-based discrimination is currently being challenged in state courts.
The event also took place less than a week after state Senate lawmakers on the chamber’s education committee passed a bill laying down strict divisions based on biological sex for non-coed school and collegiate sports teams and explicitly barring transgender girls and women from playing on girls’ and women’s sports teams.
Supporters of the bill said they were trying to protect the competitive fairness of women’s sports, pointing to the performance of former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas as examples of where some transgender women have unfair advantages.
“President Trump’s order keeping men out of women’s sports was a step in the right direction. This legislation further protects young girls who want to compete in women’s sports,” said Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York County, during last week’s committee meeting.
For some at the event, like Pastor Angelique Chelton with Pilgrims Mennonite Church in Lancaster County, the focus on transgender athletes was unfair to what is a small population of those playing sports across the country.
That scrutiny, Chelton said, could have a long-lasting impact on the well-being of many young transgender individuals who are concerned about being accepted in the community.
“My hope is that people in office is that people in office will realize that people of faith want people really want everybody to treat people well, to show them love and kindness and not demonize them and not make an easy other—an easy target to stir people up,” she said.
