Advocating for LGBTQ+ Youth Across Pennsylvania
*This article was written by high school students and members of The Fund for Women and Girls’ GirlGov Chester County program, a civic engagement program that provides local high school girls with an opportunity to learn firsthand about civics, government, advocacy, policy and leadership. Each GirlGov Committee takes on a policy or advocacy campaign topic that the group is passionate about.
This past school year, the GirlGov Chester County LGBTQ+ Rights Committee took considerable efforts to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and its youth. The GirlGov organization (part of The Fund for Women and Girls) provides opportunities for young women to get involved with politics and government and has allowed the LGBTQ+ Rights Committee to advocate for its cause at a large scale. This committee consists of high school students Sahitya Suresh, Nishita Jakkam, Diya Kumar, Alexis Allen, and Aalana Vasquez.
Our committee decided to focus our advocacy on raising awareness about the dangers of conversion therapy and campaigned for this abuse to be banned in Pennsylvania. The effects of conversion therapy are traumatic and can force children to feel rejected solely because of their identity. Studies have found that young people who undergo this abusive practice are 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide and 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression. LGBTQ youth in Pennsylvania are affected by conversion therapy and are not safe until it is made illegal. This is why the GirlGov LGBTQ Rights Committee has spent the past year advocating for PA House Bill 729 to be passed; this legislation would effectively ban mental health professionals from using conversion therapy on minors.
At the start of our campaigning, the LGBTQ+ Rights Committee met and worked closely with Rep. Brian Sims (author of PA HB 729) and Rep. Melissa Shusterman (co-sponsor of PA HB 729). We were able to make use of valuable advice from these legislators regarding their advocacy around this bill. Our committee also gained the support of LGBT Equality Alliance, a local LGBTQ+ organization, and worked with Kyle Hudson (candidate for West Chester Mayor) to further develop the campaign.
The main part of our advocacy project revolved around collecting video and written testimonials from young people across numerous states regarding why they personally feel that conversion therapy should be banned. After weeks of reaching out to surrounding schools and GSA clubs, the LGBTQ+ Rights Committee received many testimonials from members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as its allies. Next, we organized the written testimonials on the GirlGov website and put together the video testimonials to be posted on YouTube. Here are a few highlights:
“No one should get to police how you define yourself or who you choose to love. It’s like telling someone to paint a vibrant picture with black or white colors only. While some may find comfort in black or white, they can’t deny the existence of other colors and peoples pure love for those colors. Let everyone choose how they wish to paint the canvas of their lives.”
“I have dealt, every day, with the type of people who would happily support conversion. I have had slurs shouted at me in hallways and rape threats posted on my locker. There have been times I have not felt safe being my loud, openly queer self.”
“I couldn’t imagine living my life not expressing the way I feel and the person I am. Conversion therapy takes away the freedom of those in the LGBTQ+ community. It suppresses us and tries to change us to be something we are not.
“Conversion therapy doesn’t “fix” people because being part of the LGBTQIA+ community isn’t a disease that needs to be cured.”
Our committee further advocated for our cause by sending this information to all representatives on the PA Health House Committee, urging them to pass House Bill 729. We continue to advocate for this bill through our social media account on Instagram @lgbtqrights.pa and hope that progress will continue to be made for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Fund for Women and Girls: Igniting Change in Chester County leads and unites the community through philanthropy and advocacy to ensure that women and girls have resources and opportunities to thrive. Over the past 25 years, The Fund has awarded over $3.7 million to 80 local non-profit organizations serving women and girls.
GirlGov Chester County is a civic engagement program that provides local high school girls entering 10th, 11th or 12th grade with an opportunity to learn firsthand about civics, government, advocacy, policy and leadership. The Fund began a partnership with the Women and Girls Foundation in Pittsburgh three years ago to start a chapter of its popular GirlGov program right here in Chester County.
