In our last installment of primary interviews, PGN reached out to candidates in the contested state House race for the 182nd District, which covers the Gayborhood. Below are the responses candidates gave on their LGBT positions and plans.
Brian Sims
PGN: Do you support the Pennsylvania Fairness Act and what would you do to advance it?
BS: In addition to being a co-sponsor of the Pennsylvania Fairness Act, I have also been serving as the primary whip of the bill with my friend and colleague Dan Frankel, as well as my colleagues across the aisle. While we have made great strides in equality in recent years, it remains unconscionable that members of the LGBT community can be fired from their jobs, kicked out of their homes and denied service as public establishments simply for being LGBT. Advocates and I continue to explore different procedural measures to move the bill as well. I will continue to work with my colleagues including those across the aisle to see this legislation finally become law.
PGN: How would you strengthen LGBT hate-crime reporting and what can be done to combat violence against LGBT people?
BS: Following the brutal hate crime that occurred right here in Center City in 2014, I held the largest and most comprehensive rally for and hearings on LGBT-inclusive hate-crimes legislation. We heard from police officers, legal scholars, community leaders and even Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams and City Council President Darrell Clarke. Following these events, we saw the hate-crimes bill move successfully out of the House Judiciary Committee, only to have Republican leaders fail to allow the bill to receive a full vote. I continue to work with leaders in both the Democratic and Republican parties to make sure this bill receives a vote. We must pass this legislation in order to ensure protection for members of the LGBT community and give the same protection to our community as other communities have had for years.
PGN: What can be done to combat anti-LGBT bullying in public schools?
BS: I know firsthand what it is like to be the subject of discrimination. Although we’ve made great strides in advancing issues of LGBT equality, the most vulnerable among us — youth — still lack even the most basic protections from harassment and discrimination. That is why I’ve worked with a Republican colleague of mine to co-sponsor HB 156, The Pennsylvania Safe Schools Act, which seeks to add LGBT discrimination to the requirements for reporting bullying in all schools in the commonwealth. While legislation such as HB156 is a start, we must also work to educate and train teachers and school personnel how to identify bullying and those who may be at high risk. Studies show that schools with Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) have greatly reduced rates of LGBT bullying and harassment.
PGN: What is your plan to address HIV/AIDS, particularly in minority communities?
BS: Despite the city of Philadelphia’s terrific efforts, and those of organizations like the Mazzoni Center, Philadelphia FIGHT and the AIDS Law Project, to address the HIV/AIDS crisis, rates of HIV infection in Philadelphia remain disproportionately high. As a legislator, I’ve introduced legislation that would require insurance companies that do business in Pennsylvania and the state exchange set up through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to cover Pre- and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis. These treatments nearly eliminate (though not completely) the risk of transmission of HIV. Despite the availability of such life-saving medicine, rates of infection remain high among minority and low-income communities. We can do more, and we must do more. I will continue to fight for more funding for organizations that directly serve these traditionally underserved communities and advocate for direct, line-item funding for these efforts.
PGN: Why should an LGBT resident vote for you?
BS: I have been an advocate for the LGBT community for my whole life. I spent years as a civil-rights attorney and advocate, and served on the board of Equality PA, where I actively fought for the rights and protections of the LGBT community, which is why I’ve been endorsed for re-election by Equality Pennsylvania, the Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. But not only that; as the only openly LGBT member of the General Assembly, I have a unique perspective that is often sought out by my colleagues when such issues arise. When I first ran for the State House, I did so because I saw that while advocacy was important and effective, there is nothing more powerful than a member of the community with an active seat at the table. When I became the first openly LGBT person elected to the Pennsylvania legislature, I knew how important it was to use the seat at the table and have been a tireless advocate and voice for the LGBT community. One of the most revealing moments came early in my career as a legislator when I was told by several of my colleagues that I was the only LGBT person they knew, or had ever worked with. As Harvey Milk reminded us: When they know us, we win. This community is such a powerful source of inspiration for me and motivates me to fight not only for our rights, but the rights of all disenfranchised and marginalized communities.
Ben Waxman
PGN: Do you support the Pennsylvania Fairness Act and what would you do to advance it?
BW: I support the Pennsylvania Fairness Act 100 percent. It’s outrageous that members of the LGBTQ community are still not protected against discrimination in accommodations and the workplace. It’s also shocking that Pennsylvania is so far behind on this issue, since the vast majority of voters support the legislation. Supporters of LGBTQ equality need to get more aggressive in pushing this legislation. There are a number of strategies that need to be pursued. First and foremost, we must try to force a vote on the issue. We can’t expect that a bill will be introduced and successfully move through the standard process. That’s why I would craft an amendment that could be attached to other legislation that is moving through the legislature to force a vote on the Pennsylvania House floor. Second, I think that supporters of the Pennsylvania Fairness Act should try to come together as a bloc and refuse to support any major piece of legislation unless the Fairness Act comes up for a vote. That includes the state budget and other major spending bills. We have to show that this bill must be a priority.
PGN: How would you strengthen LGBT hate-crime reporting and what can be done to combat violence against LGBT people?
BW: We need to make sure that the LGBTQ community is included in Pennsylvania’s hate-crime statute. That’s got to be the first priority, because without that there will be no real mechanism for law-enforcement agencies to treat these attacks as hate crimes under Pennsylvania law and punish offenders accordingly.
PGN: What can be done to combat anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in public schools?
BW: We need to confront violence and bullying at all levels of our society, from kindergarten to our senior centers. Any worker in a government-funded position (including teachers) must be trained on how to identify and combat bias against LGBTQ individuals.
PGN: What is your plan to address HIV/AIDS, particularly in minority communities?
BW: I support increased funding for testing, treatment and research into curing HIV/AIDS. We need to focus on making sure that people in low-income and minority communities have access to all types of health care, including sex education and preventative measures. We also need to combat the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and combat negative stereotypes about people who are living with the virus.
PGN: Why should an LGBT resident vote for you?
BW: I have been an activist for social and economic justice for more than 15 years. I view discrimination against the LGBTQ community as part of the patchwork for racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination that must be challenged at all times. If elected, I will work hard to be an ally to the LGBTQ community as an elected official.
Lou Lanni
PGN: Do you support the Pennsylvania Fairness Act and what would you do to advance it?
LL: I fully support this measure as presented. In 2016, I believe we should all be able to agree that no one should be discriminated against — period. I believe in the promise of the ideals of our country. Thus, there is no place for such conduct in a just society. If this measure is still pending in January 2017, I will certainly sign on as a cosponsor and urge all members of the Assembly to search their consciences when I ask them if they think our commonwealth, which was created for the common good of all persons, should permit such conduct. My guess is that only a few strident hold-outs will resist passage.
PGN: How would you strengthen hate-crime reporting and what can be done to combat violence against LGBT people?
LL: I can tell you as a former police officer that there are still a few people in society that only get the message about such conduct when they are faced with severe penalties — lengthy terms of imprisonment — for bias-based violence. These crimes should be identified and tracked as we track many other crimes, and penalties upon conviction should be doubled, and leave no wiggle room for weak judges who can’t find it within themselves to slam perpetrators with a stiff sentence. Make examples of a few of these people, and let others see what happens to you if you engage in such conduct.
PGN: What can be done to combat anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in public schools?
LL: I have always believed that social change comes over time, and the time for this type of behavior to end has come. Children are products of their environments. We, as a legislative body and as a community, need to send the message to parents and students alike that these abuses will carry harsh penalties. Parents need to be held accountable for the conduct of their children, and schools need to send a message to victims that educators will support them, take their situations seriously and remove students from schools that persist in abusive acts.
PGN: What is your plan to address HIV/AIDS, particularly in minority communities?
LL: It astounds me that too many people continue to engage in risky behavior that results in infection with all that we know about the spread of this disease. Until a cure and/or vaccine is developed, everyone needs to take responsibility for protecting themselves. We have to continue to drive the point home that you can take common-sense precautions that will limit and prevent infection, and educate students and adults alike that transmission is preventable. Some have grown accustomed to the presence of this disease, and have in a strange way accepted it as a part of life. It doesn’t have to be this way.
PGN: Why should an LGBT resident vote for you?
LL: I am a gay man of long standing, and know full well what it’s like to live in an imperfect world. I was a police officer who knew firsthand what the mindset is of some, both in law enforcement and in the community regarding LGBT persons. I’ve been gay longer than others in this race have been alive. Making speeches and saying the right things doesn’t get it done. We will pass anti-LGBT legislation in Pennsylvania — there are just one or two people standing in the way of such stalled measures. Beyond that, this will be a daily effort for me, not just when the political season comes around. I think we’ve all had enough of this “window dressing.” It’s time for focused and forceful representation and advocacy by people who have walked the walk to ensure that LGBT persons enjoy the full promise of American citizenship that all others have. From me you’ll get action, not just commiseration.