PGN: Do you support the Equality Act, and what would you do to advance it?
KM: Yes. The approach being taken now is, “Listen, let’s think about this as an economic-competitiveness issue.” The places that are most welcoming to the LGBT community will be the places that are most competitive. They’ll attract young people, investments. They’re places that show better quality of life overall. I think strategies like that can expand the tent of people who are willing to put a shoulder to the wheel behind important legislation like this.
PGN: How would you strengthen hate-crime reporting for anti-LGBT crimes?
KM: One is to reexamine the law and see if there is language that could be made clearer. Second, with leaders like Brian Sims, I would love to have public forums where we’re bringing law enforcement together with the LGBT community. We need to make sure we’re working in partnership to understand where these crimes are happening, the circumstances around them and make sure we’re taking action.
PGN: How would you help cut down on violence against LGBT people?
KM: Keeping this human, keeping this about your son or daughter, your next-door neighbor. Put a name to the person who is being harmed. One of the things that has inspired me over the last decade is the degree to which people have shown themselves willing to listen to their heart and have it trump their biases. Having said that, I would tolerate discrimination in no form. There would be enforcement and serious consequences: Loss of business, loss of contract, inability to avail of public dollars for anyone guilty of hate or discrimination.
PGN: What is your stance on open transgender service in the military?
KM: There should be no discrimination against the LGBT community, period. That means the L, the G, the B and the T.
PGN: Would you support legislation to call for open transgender service in the military?
KM: I would.
PGN: What would you like to see done further for people dealing with HIV/AIDS, especially those in minority communities?
KM: First and foremost, we can’t be prematurely declaring victory. Keeping the issue in the forefront is critically important. I sat down not too long ago with the ActionAIDS team and learned a great deal from them in terms of the intricacies of Medicaid and Medicare and other policies that right now can make it very difficult for HIV and AIDS health services to be fully and adequately covered. I’d like to partner with the LGBT community to make sure we’re addressing and fixing those problems. I would also, as I have done, sit down with the experts who are looking at the populations that are most vulnerable and supporting them in having adequate resources.
PGN: What do you consider LGBT legislative priorities after marriage equality?
KM: Unfortunately, we have to be ever vigilant. I’m not a bit sanguine about any gains that have been made in the face of Pat Toomey, who is determined to try to roll back the gains in marriage equality. A Sen. McGinty would work very hard to protect the gains we have made. I want them moved further in nondiscrimination. I think we also need to take on the Fair Housing Act and make sure there is no discrimination. We have to look at health care. There are challenges in fully meeting HIV and AIDS treatment needs. With respect to the transgender community, there are still issues in Medicaid to make sure that medically necessary services are provided and covered.
PGN: Why do you think an LGBT voter should look to you in this election?
KM: This election is critically important. We have the opportunity to say “no” to an incumbent senator who has voted against hardworking people in this state time and time again: voting against college affordability, voting to get rid of Social Security, voting against universal pre-K and funding our schools and voting directly against the LGBT community. I’m in this race to stand up for people who have been left behind or left out. There’s no question when it comes to the LGBT community, we are still talking about basic human rights. This is a community that it’ll be my honor to stand with and stand up for.
Katie McGinty is the former chief of staff for Gov. Tom Wolf and former secretary of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection.