York City PA Listened to a Campaign by Local & Statewide Leaders

Protecting LGBTQ+ youth is a priority in York, Pennsylvania, and that was successfully put to a city council vote last night.

Thanks to local leaders including Tesla Taliaferro (he/they), Matthew Jackson, as well as Gwen Stembridge, Liam Dacey, Teresa Ascher, Jean Wintz, MPA, Tanner Mobley, Casey Pick, Johanna Byrd, Ann Marie Frakes, MPA, Troy Stevenson, Adrian Shanker, Clare Twomey, Patrick Cochran, Miguel Soto, Nicholas Turton, Kathy Vosburg, Christina M. Stetler, M.A., bCRE, Naiymah Sanchez, preston heldibridle, and many more, the conversion therapy ordinance passed 3 to 1 in York City.

Live testimonies at the council meeting provided by survivors drove home the need for local protection against harmful treatment by therapists, counselors, social workers, psychologists, and medical professionals.

Although the year is 2023, dozens of licensed professionals in Pennsylvania still fraudulently profit off their ineffective, unscientific, and damaging treatments which run counter to the ethical principles and guidelines of their national and statewide associations.

We have the data.

Thanks to the broad coalition of supportive organizations* coordinated by Rainbow Rose, The Trevor Project, and THE VALLEY: For Good Change In The 717, Susquehanna Valley & Chesapeake Bay, a process is now ready for the Mayor to put into place to help save lives: https://lnkd.in/e6Na6uxy

* Thanks to these partnering companies and organizations for joining the campaign: ACLU of Pennsylvania, Capital Blue Cross, Democratic Party of York County, Dover UCC, Family First Health, Hanover Area Diversity Alliance, Hanover Borough Manager, Hayshire UCC, Heidelberg UCC, KEIRUV, Keystone Equality, Mazzoni Center, NASW - PA Chapter, The Pennsylvania Youth Congress, PB's Chicken, Pennsylvania Psychological Association, PFLAG - York County Chapter, PFLAG National/Straight for Equality, Planned Parenthood Keystone, Pride Hanover, Rainbow Rose Center, Rivertown Pride Center, The Trevor Project, THE VALLEY: For Good Change In The 717, Susquehanna Valley & Chesapeake Bay, Union Lutheran UCC, Unitarian Universalist Gettysburg, Unitarian Universalist York, York City Human Relations Commission, York College Center for Community Engagement, YWCA – Hanover, YWCA - York