Gender-neutral markers are now officially here for Pennsylvania driver’s licenses and photo ID cards! This is an important step toward inclusion and the greater safety of non-binary and gender expansive Pennsylvanians. Gender-neutral ‘X’ markers have been available from PennDOT since early August 2019. As of today, all the paperwork is […]
50+ LGBTQ Organizations Across Pennsylvania Send Demand Letter to the Bloomsburg Fair; Governor Releases Statement
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. — This afternoon over 50 LGBTQ community organizations throughout the commonwealth sent a demand letter to the Bloomsburg Fair. The correspondence is below. The Bloomsburg Fair hosted a vile transphobic act over the past weekend which has garnered statewide, national, and international media coverage. This county fair in north-central […]
Pennsylvania Still Has 66 Racist Public School Mascots
We recognize Pennsylvania as being the land of the Lenni-Lenape, Susquehannock, Shawnee, Erie, and Iroquois nations. Today and every day is the time to learn about, celebrate, and center Native communities. For nearly ten years, the Pennsylvania Youth Congress has been keeping meticulous records of school board policies as they […]
US Supreme Court Affirms Federal Employment Nondiscrimination Protections
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Today in a historic decision, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that employers can’t unfairly fire or otherwise discriminate against LGBT people in the workplace. The ruling will directly improve the lives of 11.5 million gay, lesbian, and bisexual people and 1.5 million transgender people nationwide, including over […]
Denouncing Anti-Black Racism
Anti-black racism is a national crisis. It has been for over 400 years on this land. Through slavery, reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, segregation, lynchings, police brutality, economic injustice, environmental racism, healthcare discrimination, mass incarceration, political disenfranchisement, underfunded public education, and more, our United States has utterly failed black people. The […]
Pennsylvania Values Campaign Pushes for LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Protections
HARRISBURG, PA — Lawmakers, leaders from the faith and business communities, LGBTQ Pennsylvanians, and allies spoke today at a landmark press conference at the state Capitol to call for LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections in Pennsylvania and across the country. The event was hosted by Pennsylvania Youth Congress to formally launch its […]
Huntingdon Makes History: First Rural Community in PA to Adopt LGBT Nondiscrimination Law
HUNTINGDON, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Youth Congress is thrilled to share that at their December 17, 2019 meeting, Huntingdon Borough Council voted to adopt an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance. Huntingdon becomes the first rural community and 58th municipality in Pennsylvania to enact local protections for LGBT people in employment, housing, and […]
Pennsylvania: Trans Day of Remembrance/Resilience 2019
The International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is held in local communities and schools across the nation to memorialize those who have been killed due to anti-transgender bigotry. Many victims of anti-transgender violence have been invisible in their communities and attackers not often brought to justice. The 21st Annual TDOR […]
PYC Autumn Update
This year has been both extremely productive and challenging. As we begin our tenth year of powerful statewide LGBTQ youth advocacy in 2020, we continue to secure numerous landmark wins while also fighting back swiftly locally and in Harrisburg against policies aimed to hurt LGBTQ Pennsylvanians. NOW is the time to […]