With the upcoming primary election on April 23, it is time to give some thought into whose name you will be marking on your ballot. These are the candidates PGN proudly endorses.
U.S. SENATE
Robert P. Casey (#3)
It is understandable to be upset about Sen. Bob Casey recently rescinding his support for funding for William Way LGBT Community Center but this does not erase his history of being one of the LGBTQ+ community’s greatest allies. In addition to supporting marriage equality, Casey co-sponsored the Equality Act which would prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in education, employment, housing, credit and federal jury service. He has also supported additional pieces of legislation advocating for youth — including the banning of conversion therapy — as well as for LGBTQ+ older adults through his support of LGBT Elder Americans Act and the Elder Pride Act. His advocacy for us has also extended to writing letters to departments requesting protections for trans students in schools and restoring LGBTQ+ questions to government surveys. We need Casey on our side in this battle.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Joe Khan (#6)
During a forum hosted by The Philadelphia Citizen, a moderator noted the progress Pride flag pin on Joe Khan’s suit jacket and asked him what he would do if he was ever tasked to stand behind anti-LGBTQ+ laws he didn’t necessarily agree with. Khan noted how he stood up against anti-LGBTQ+ group Moms for Liberty when they took over the Central Bucks School District. He said, “There were all of these attempts to try and make people feel like gay and trans members of our community were somehow ‘other’ and therefore it was OK to pick on them and have discriminatory policies. So if I see laws like that as attorney general, am I going to defend them when they fly in the face of not only the U.S. Constitution but in [the face] of Pennsylvania’s constitution? Hell no.”
AUDITOR GENERAL
Malcolm Kenyatta (#9)
Malcolm Kenyatta broke barriers when he became the first openly LGBTQ+ person of color and one of the youngest members elected to the PA General Assembly in 2018. The candidate is among the main sponsors for the Fairness Act and is recently working on legislation to decriminalize HIV. The local community is also familiar with Kenyatta due to his presence at numerous LGBTQ+ events hosted by nonprofits and numerous other groups. He has become a face we can trust. As auditor general, he has promised that he will stand up for workers by creating the first Bureau of Labor and Worker Protections to combat wage theft, employee misclassification and union busting. He also said he will use his office to increase transparency on how hospital nonprofits and long-term care providers use state dollars.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE — DISTRICT 201
Andre Carroll (#16)
Andre Carroll aims to expand representation for state representatives in the PA General Assembly. Carroll’s campaign website specifies the LGBTQ+ issues he wants to work on to make a “more just and equitable Pennsylvania for everyone!” This includes creating anti-bullying laws, advocating for statewide nondiscrimination laws, creating a statewide ban on conversion therapy, and outright banning gay and trans panic defenses. In an interview with PGN, Carroll noted his priorities of criminal justice reform, education and the needs of families, all of which were informed by his personal experiences. While working with Councilmember Isaiah Thomas in the city controller’s office, Carroll said “it even gave me the opportunity to really learn more about the disparities that happen in the community that I’m a part of — to learn about things I never experienced myself.”