Endorsements

Keystone Equality aims to ensure Pennsylvanians elect LGBTQ-friendly officials at the local and state levels. We do this through endorsements, providing information on LGBTQ policies to candidates for office, and commenting on political races.

Every election cycle we reach out to candidates in State and Federal races to learn more about their positions on the issues that matter to you!

Information on our endorsements for the 2024 cycle will be available soon. In the meanwhile, please take a look at the questions we are asking the candidates.

Questionairre for Candidates for Federal Office

  1. Would you vote for the Equality Act? 

  2. Would you vote for Sen. Casey’s Safe Schools Improvement Act? 

  3. Would you vote for Rep. Scanlon’s Do No Harm Act? 

  4. Would you be against legislation similar to the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023? 

  5. Would you vote against legislation similar to Speaker Mike Johnson’s Stop the Sexualization of Children Act of 2022? 

  6. Did you vote for, or would you have voted for, the Respect for Marriage Act? 

  7. Would you vote for legislation banning the practice and advertising of conversion therapy (also known as “reparative therapy”), like the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2021? 

  8. Would you vote for legislation to require all private and public insurance plans to cover prescription drugs that prevent HIV and related services with no out-of-pocket costs for patients? 

  9. Would you oppose critical appropriations bills required to fund the government if they include riders limiting access to gender-affirming care? 

  10. Is there anything else about your experience or positions you would like to share with the endorsement committee or Pennsylvania’s LGBTQ+ community?

     

Questionairre for Candidates for State Office

  1. Do you support passage of the Fairness Act (HB300) or similar legislation that would codify protections for Pennsylvanians against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations?

  2. Do you support banning the practice of conversion therapy (aka “Reparative Therapy”) in Pennsylvania?

  3. Do you support adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Pennsylvania's Hate Crimes Law (the Ethnic Intimidations Act) and strengthening penalties for those who commit hate crimes?

  4. Do you support efforts to modernize and simplify the process for legal name changes including the removal of the requirement that name changes be advertised in local newspapers or law journals?

  5. Do you oppose preventing transgender students from participating in all publicly sanctioned or funded school sports programs according to their gender identity?  

  6. Do you oppose extending the statute of limitations under which a person could file a civil claim related to gender affirming care which could cause providers to leave the state in response to higher insurance premiums? 

  7. Do you oppose efforts at the state or school district level to restrict curricula, books, or individual expression of the instructor, because of LGBTQ+ content?

  8. Do you support prohibiting the LGBTQ+ panic defense? Panic defense means that the discovery or perception that a person is LGBTQ+, is a justification for physical violence. 

  9. Do you oppose increasing criminal penalties for people who are HIV positive, when those who are not HIV positive would not be subject to those increased penalties for the same offense? 

  10. Do you support affirming, supporting, and guaranteeing the right of LGBTQ+ parents to seek and retain custody of their children, including foster and adopted children, without bias based on that parent's LGBTQ+ status?

  11. Do you support equal rights for legally married same sex/gender couples as those granted to legally married opposite sex/gender couples?

  12. Is there anything else about your experience or positions you would like to share with the endorsement committee or Pennsylvania’s LGBTQ+ community?

FEDERAL Races

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STATE Line Offices

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STATE Senate

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STATE HOUSE

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