This Tuesday, April 24, Pennsylvania holds its primary election. In this election cycle, Democrats and Republicans will vote for a presidential candidate, one Senate and all House of Representative seats at the national level. At the state level, each party is holding elections for attorney general, treasurer, auditor general, odd-numbered senate seats and all representative seats. There will also be special elections in the 153rd, 169th, 186th and 197th vacant seats.
For this cycle, PGN requested interviews with Democratic candidates for attorney general, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and the 182nd District. For the state House races, PGN sent questionnaires or used answers from the last election cycle. PGN also requested interviews with the Republican presidential candidates. (So far, there’s been no response on those.) Of the interviews the paper requested, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidates and Kathleen Kane did not grant an interview. Of the questionnaires PGN sent, all those who responded to this or a previous request are included here.
U.S. House of Representatives, 13th District
Allyson Schwartz
Congresswoman Schwartz is seeking a fifth term in Congress and said she will continue her pro-LGBT record.
Schwartz is in favor of marriage equality and has cosponsored the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
She has also cosponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the bill to repeal the military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers. She voted in favor of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Schwartz is also a cosponsor of the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, which would mandate domestic-partner benefits for the same-sex partners of federal employees.
She is a cosponsor of the Uniting American Families Act, which would alleviate discrimination against LGBT couples in immigration.
Schwartz is a cosponsor of the Student Nondiscrimination Act and said she would support the Safe Schools Improvement Act if it came to the House floor.
Rachel Magnuson, the congresswoman’s chief of staff, said that Schwartz seeks diversity in all office hiring — from senior staff to interns — and that staffers have participated in LGBT-sensitivity training.
Magnuson noted that Schwartz helped secure a federal grant for Mazzoni Center several years ago.
“She’s been a strong advocate in Congress and on the local level for the community.”
Nate Kleinman
Occupy Philadelphia activist Kleinman is running as a write-in candidate and promised to back the LGBT community if elected.
Kleinman said he is “absolutely” in favor of marriage equality and of repealing the federal Defense of Marriage Act. He supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and said he lobbied in favor of it when he was a teenager, including at then-Sen. Rick Santorum’s office.
He supports eliminating LGBT discrimination in immigration and is in favor of the Safe Schools Improvement Act, which would mandate LGBT-inclusive anti-bullying policies for federally funded schools.
“Legislation is a start but I also think we need to have a very public campaign,” he said. “It takes education starting from a young age, and it’s a problem that’s not going to go away until we have a broader cultural shift that I think is underway.”
Kleinman said broader sex education is needed to advance HIV prevention, and noted that single-payer health care would also support that effort.
Kleinman, 29, said he grew up in an LGBT-affirming atmosphere, and that he would bring that attitude to Congress.
“I was fortunate to be raised in a time and place where being a part of the LGBT community is not something to be ashamed of. I’m hopeful that that’s where the rest of the country is headed in the future, where people are judged not on the basis of who they love but who they are,” he said. “But until then I will stand up for the LGBT community on every issue regardless of whether I believe it’ll be politically popular or not.”
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Patrick Murphy
Former Congressman Murphy, who successfully spearheaded the effort to repeal the military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers, said he would continue his commitment to LGBT equality as the state’s top attorney.
A supporter of marriage equality, Murphy said he would follow President Obama’s lead and decline to defend Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act, which limits the definition of marriage to one man and one woman, in court.
A former constitutional law professor at West Point, Murphy said he would prioritize upholding LGBT youth’s first-amendment rights to access informational websites on LGBT issues.
He would also work to “make sure we’re being aggressive and partnering with local DAs and police departments” to target online predators.
He said he will use his office “as a bully pulpit” in supporting measures like LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination and hate-crimes laws and fighting against efforts to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
“Our constitution guarantees equality for everyone, and I will make sure that I will be the leader, the highest-ranking Democrat in Harrisburg, fighting for true equality for all Pennsylvanians,” he said.
Murphy said he is “looking forward to hiring members of the LGBT community to be key leaders” in his office.
“The LGBT community knows my record and knows my passion in fighting for equality,” he said. “The community knows that we’ll not just win in April and in November, but also that I will govern in a way that will make them proud of their support.”
Murphy has been endorsed by Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club.
STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE
Larry Farnese
Pennsylvania Senate, 1st District
In his first term in office, Sen. Farnese was the prime sponsor of the Senate version of HB 300, which would extend nondiscrimination protections to LGBT Pennsylvanians.
Farnese is one of just three senators to join the LGBT Equality Caucus, and is also one of three cosponsors of his chamber’s bill to legalize same-sex marriage equality.
Farnese has cosponsored the bill to extend hate-crimes protections to the LGBT community and said he supports including same-sex couples in the state’s inheritance-tax exemption.
He has opposed the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. He supports funding for LGBT senior programs and has backed the effort to create an LGBT-friendly senior housing program in the city.
“I have been honored in previous campaigns to have had strong support from the LGBT community and would not have been successful without it,” he said. “I have worked hard throughout my first term in Harrisburg to be a voice for our city on issues that affect everyone, like public safety and economic development, and also specifically on issues that affect the LGBT community. I will continue to speak out on progressive issues that we all care about and work to improve the quality of life for everyone.”
Farnese has been endorsed by Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Brendan Boyle
170th District
One of Rep. Boyle’s first committee votes in the legislature was in favor of HB 300, an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination law, and he said he would continue to back this and other measures if he’s re-elected.
Boyle is a cosponsor of HB 300 and said he has worked with Equality PA to advance similar local-level measures. He supports extending the hate-crimes and inheritance-tax laws to the LGBT community.
Boyle is a founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus.
“It is important to me that LGBT issues are given serious consideration in [the] House and Senate, and the LGBT Caucus figures to be a critical channel through which LGBT issues are brought to the forefront of policy discussions in Harrisburg,” he said.
Boyle, who currently employs an openly gay staffer, said the most practical approach to relationship recognition is through a civil-union law.
He opposes a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. He supports efforts to include LGBT-specific language in anti-bullying laws.
“Despite representing a socially conservative district, I have been a leader for equality on LGBT issues,” he said.
Kevin Boyle
172nd District
Freshman Rep. Kevin Boyle is a founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus and a cosponsor of the bill to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the state’s nondiscrimination law.
Boyle said he favors civil unions as the preferred method of recognizing same-sex relationships and said Pennsylvania’s inability to advance such a measure has “set us back as a state.”
He is in favor of repealing the state’s Defense of Marriage Act, as it “does not serve any purpose other than to prevent a group of people from enjoying the benefits of marriage on the basis of sexual orientation,” and also opposes the “unequal and unjust” constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
He supports extending the inheritance-tax exemption to same-sex couples and said the lack of LGBT protections in the hate-crimes law represents “a major hole.”
Boyle supports stronger reporting requirements in anti-bullying laws as well as tougher accountability for both students and schools.
“For too long, double standards for LGBT individuals have been allowed to persist in many aspects of public life in Pennsylvania, and I value the opportunity to continue to work in my community and in Harrisburg to overcome these injustices,” he said.
Anthony Johnson
180th District
Anthony Johnson, a teacher and community organizer from North Philadelphia, challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Angel Cruz, is a marriage-equality supporter who promised to ensure that “the LGBT community is treated with respect and integrity.”
He said he would be very interested in joining the state’s new LGBT Equality Caucus and would create a cabinet comprised of people of all backgrounds, genders, ethnicities and sexual orientations.
He opposes efforts for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and said he “enthusiastically” supports the rights of LGBT individuals to become foster or adoptive parents. Johnson is also in favor of statewide LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination and hate-crimes laws, as well as the effort to extend the inheritance-tax exemption to same-sex couples.
Johnson said he would support legislation to fund LGBT senior programs, as well as those for youth, and that he would work to strengthen laws that include protections for LGBT students, favoring penalties of incarceration for violators.
Damon Roberts
186th District
Real-estate attorney and community organizer Roberts said he would back the LGBT community at every chance if elected to the vacant seat in the186th District.
He supports marriage equality and LGBT individuals’ and couples’ right to adopt. He said he would advocate for the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in the state’s nondiscrimination and hate-crimes laws, as well as the inheritance-tax exemption law.
“We are striving to become a progressive society, therefore we must have progressive laws on the books,” he said.
Roberts said that passage of such laws can be beneficial to de-stigmatizing the LGBT community and eventually lessening bullying of LGBT youth, an effort he said should be aided by holding administrators, faculty and teachers accountable.
He said he would “absolutely” join the LGBT Equality Caucus.
“I am committed to bringing freedom to every citizen of our country, specifically every Pennsylvanian,” he said. “The LGBT community has my full attention and support.”
James Roebuck
188th District
Rep. Roebuck is a founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus.
Roebuck is in favor of marriage equality and has cosponsored both the marriage-equality and civil-union bill.
He is also a cosponsor of the measure to include same-sex couples in the inheritance-tax exemption.
He has been a cosponsor of the legislation to amend the state’s nondiscrimination law to include LGBT individuals for a number of years.
[Roebuck did not complete a 2012 PGN questionnaire.]
Fatimah Lorén Muhammad
188th District
Muhammad, who is openly bisexual, is looking to unseat longtime incumbent Rep. James Roebuck.
Muhammad, a teacher and community organizer, is in favor of marriage equality and would work to repeal the state’s Defense of Marriage Act and defeat a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
She supports an LGBT-inclusive hate-crimes and nondiscrimination law, as well as a measure that would extend the inheritance-tax exemption to same-sex couples.
Muhammad supports funding for LGBT senior and youth programs and, a longtime anti-bullying advocate, she said she would work to encourage the formation of GSAs and other LGBT-supportive initiatives.
“I believe if we start educating students early, we are more likely to reduce bullying across the board,” she said.
Muhammad said she would join the LGBT Equality Caucus.
“As a member of the community, I promise to be a vocal advocate for LGBT issues,” she said. “I will ensure that our issues are heard and that there is open communication in my district and in Harrisburg.”
Muhammad has been endorsed by the Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club.
Vanessa Lowery-Brown
190th District
Rep. Lowery-Brown is among the founding members of the LGBT Equality Caucus and is one of a handful of cosponsors of the first marriage-equality bill in the House.
She is also a cosponsor of the LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination bill and has cosponsored a bill to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the state hate-crimes law.
Lowery-Brown is a cosponsor of the measure that would extend the inheritance-tax exemption to same-sex couples.
“Same-sex couples should be allowed the same privilege under the law as heterosexual couples,” she said.
She supports LGBT adoption rights and said she is in favor of funding for programs that address the needs of LGBT youth and seniors.
“My voting record during my tenure has consistently been in support of the legislation that promotes and protects the rights of all our citizens,” she said. “I vow to continue to advocate for equal rights, human rights, affordable healthcare, same-sex marriages, pro-choice protections and parity in insurance benefits.”
Lowery-Brown has been endorsed by the Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club.
Pamela DeLissio
194th District
Freshman Rep. DeLissio was one of the founding members of the LGBT Equality Caucus.
During her term, she cosponsored the bill that would extend nondiscrimination protections to LGBT Pennsylvanians.
She supports marriage equality and has cosponsored a bill to legalize civil unions. She is in favor of amending the state hate-crimes law to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
[DeLissio did not complete a 2012 PGN questionnaire.]
Michelle Brownlee
195th District
In her first term, Rep. Brownlee became a founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus and supported a number of pro-LGBT pieces of legislation.
Brownlee is a cosponsor of the bill that would extend nondiscrimination protections to LGBT Pennsylvanians and has also signed on to an effort to include same-sex couples in the state’s inheritance-tax exemption.
She supports amending the state’s hate-crimes law to include LGBT individuals and is in favor of marriage equality. Brownlee opposes a Department of Public Welfare proposal to put HIV/AIDS medications on the list of drugs for which a preauthorization is needed.
She opposes the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and is in favor of repealing the state’s Defense of Marriage Act. Brownlee said she would support efforts to make school bullying illegal. [Brownlee is not a current co-sponsor of HB 1805, which would require schools to adopt an anti-bullying policy.]
“I am for equality for all people,” she said.
Charisma Presley
198th District
As assistant director at Villanova University’s Center for Multicultural Affairs, Presley deals with diversity issues daily and said she would make diversity a cornerstone of her work in Harrisburg. Presley is looking to unseat Democratic Rep. Rosita Youngblood.
Presley supports marriage equality and would work to repeal the state’s Defense of Marriage Act and fight against efforts to amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
“[The constitution] is not meant to harbor bigotry or limit the rights of a minority for the benefit of a few,” she said.
Presley pledged to join the LGBT Equality Caucus, as “a representative must not only talk about support, she or he must also be willing to stand up for their convictions.”
She supports adoption rights for LGBT individuals, as well as extending nondiscrimination, hate-crimes and inheritance-tax laws to LGBT people.
Presley had a family member who died of AIDS and said she recently hosted a forum in her campaign office about heightening awareness of the disease. She said she would utilize religious institutions, schools, community events and other means to continue that work of “bringing the information to the people and not the people to the information.”
Michael Ellis
201st District
Security manager and former president of the Young Democrats of Philadelphia, Ellis said he would work to protect the rights of LGBT Pennsylvanians if successful in his efforts to replace the retiring Democratic Rep. John Myers.
“It is only right, fair and just to do so in a pluralistic democratic society where I believe diversity in all its forms can be a great asset to all,” he said.
Ellis said he would be “proud” to join the LGBT Equality Caucus and would support the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in the nondiscrimination and hate-crimes laws.
He supports funding for LGBT senior and youth programs and would advocate for state funding for anti-bullying conferences and workshops for students, teachers and administrators.
He is in favor of marriage equality and would work to repeal the state Defense of Marriage Act and to block the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
Ellis said he would work to include LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination provisions in state-funding programs for business loans, grants and other services.
Stephen Kinsey
201st District
Lifelong Northwest Philadelphia resident Kinsey is looking to transition from chief of staff of the 201st District to the district seat, which is being vacated by a retiring representative.
Kinsey is in favor of marriage equality and said he would work to repeal the state’s Defense of Marriage Act and defeat efforts to ban same-sex marriage in the state constitution.
He would work to extend the state’s hate-crimes and nondiscrimination laws to LGBT individuals. Kinsey said he would support the inclusion of anti-bullying education in school curricula.
He said he would work with organizations that incorporate strategies of the Centers for Disease Control to alleviate the impact of HIV/AIDS on minority populations.
He is in favor of LGBT adoption rights and of funding for LGBT youth and senior programs. He pledged to join the LGBT Equality Caucus.
“I’m fair, open-minded and an advocate for diversity,” he said.
Mark Cohen
202nd District
Rep. Cohen first spearheaded the state’s first civil-union bill last session and again introduced it last year.
He is a cosponsor of a bill to legalize marriage equality and a longtime supporter of the LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination measure.
Cohen is a cosponsor of the bill to extend the inheritance-tax exemption to same-sex couples.
He is a founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus.
Cohen has been endorsed by Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club.
[He did not complete a 2012 PGN questionnaire.]