ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown lawmakers are poised to proclaim their support for LGBTQ+ people as President Donald Trump continues to target diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at all levels.
A city council committee on Wednesday recommended the full body pass a resolution that would “declare Allentown a safe and welcoming haven for the LGBTQ+ community.”
A “record number of discriminatory anti-trans legislative bills and executive orders [are] being proposed and enacted throughout the country,” that have “fuel[ed] more bigotry and stigma against transgender and non-binary people."Proposed Allentown legislation
“Allentown recognizes and admonishes the increasing, unprecedented wave of legislation denying respect and dignity, particularly based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, across the United States, with no end in sight,” the proposed resolution states.
A “record number of discriminatory anti-trans legislative bills and executive orders [are] being proposed and enacted throughout the country,” that have “fuel[ed] more bigotry and stigma against transgender and non-binary people,” the legislation says.
The proposed legislation is set to be on the agenda for council’s April 16 meeting.
It’s likely to pass after council members Ce-Ce Gerlach, Daryl Hendricks and Candida Affa signed onto the bill as co-sponsors.
‘Strong and brave actions’
Among the proposed legislation's provisions are protections for people seeking and providing gender-affirming care in Allentown.
Councilwoman Natalie Santos, who proposed the legislation, cited statistics that show almost 40% of LGBTQ+ youth “seriously consider suicide each year.”
“That's not just, it’s a crisis,” she said. “When individuals are denied the care and support they need, they're more likely to suffer in silence.
"And for many, tragically, that silence becomes permanent.”
“So many of us feel powerless in the wake of the hateful actions of the current federal government. We are turning to you to find bravery and strength and hope. Please stand up to hate.”Liz Bradbury, Lehigh County Human Relations Commission chair
Liz Bradbury urged members to “be as strong as council was in 2002,” when the body added sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories in Allentown’s anti-discrimination ordinance.
The city was the first in Pennsylvania to offer protections specifically for gender identity.
“Please be brave, and not the kind of government officials who turn their backs on the very local citizens who are the most vulnerable,” Bradbury said.
Bradbury, who cofounded the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and chairs the newly established Lehigh County Human Relations Commission, called the proposal a “strong and simple resolution calling for strong and brave actions.”
“So many of us feel powerless in the wake of the hateful actions of the current federal government,” she said. “We are turning to you to find bravery and strength and hope.
"Please stand up to hate.”
She also recommended council update the language in the city's “very outdated” anti-discrimination ordinance to better protect residents.
‘Life-saving’ care
Amelia Conway, a former Allentown resident, told council members she is transgender and receives gender-affirming care in the city.
Conway said she transitioned about three years ago after finding that care.
Gender-affirming care "gave me meaning; it gave me a sense of community; it gave me belonging. It gave me a sense that maybe tomorrow could be a little bit brighter.”Amelia Conway, former Allentown resident
“It was life-saving,” Conway said. She said it gave her purpose after “a life of alienation.”
“It gave me meaning, it gave me a sense of community, it gave me belonging,” Conway said. “It gave me a sense that maybe tomorrow could be a little bit brighter.”
Gerlach called the resolution a “moral statement” in support of a targeted and vulnerable community.
“Especially during times like these, you’ve got to make it clear where you stand,” Gerlach said.
She suggested Allentown’s inclusivity could become an “economic driver” by encouraging more people to live and work in the city.
City council in February passed a bill codifying Allentown’s long-term practices of not using city resources to enforce federal immigration laws and providing services to all, regardless of immigration status.
Councilman Santo Napoli said the proposed LGBTQ+ legislation “comes down to what we talked about two months ago: Bring a warrant or don’t come around.”
