On Monday, Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Tom Wolf, created the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ+ Affairs through an executive order. In a press release, Tom Wolf said:
“The creation of the commission on the LGBTQ Affairs is one step of many we have taken to ensure obstacles are removed for anyone who is facing an unfair disadvantage based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. It’s a step we took together with our stakeholder and advocacy groups and one that those involved asked for- a commission to help coordinate and drive statewide equality efforts.”
The commission is said to be led by executive director Todd Snovel, an assistant dean at Lebanon Valley College who teaches courses on gender and sexuality. The governor’s decision to protect LGBTQ+ residents is a bold move in a state that offers nearly zero formal protections for those residents. This commission is also the first of its kind in our country and shows a promising outlook for the future.
In this same commission is Brian Sims, a Democrat representing Philadelphia that garnered attention when he tweeted a photo of himself flipping off Mike Pence. Sims is one of 40 people appointed to the Commission of LGBTQ Affairs which will strive to promote the cultural arts of LGBTQ communities and serve as a resource.
h/t: westernjournal.com, advocate.com, huffingtonpost.com, wesa.fm