PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — City Council on Tuesday began an examination of inequities experienced by the city’s LGBTQ population with the first in a series of hearings with community leaders.
Councilmember-at-Large Rue Landau, the city’s first out LGBTQ councilmember, brought forth a resolution in May to propose that the Committee on Legislative Oversight convene the hearings to root out harmful disparities LGBTQ residents still face.
“The goal is to use what we learn from the hearing to inform future policy decisions across the city,” Landau said.
Landau says each discussion has a purpose, looking at sectors including housing, health care, education, employment and criminal justice. When planning the hearings, Landau said, it was important to gather the knowledge and experience of local LGBTQ community members and leaders. And she says part of the discussions must also be about how well and how equitably city resources are serving vulnerable populations.
“The estimate in Philadelphia is that at least 25% of youth that are in shelters or houseless are LGBTQ identified,” said Jasper Liem, executive director of The Attic Youth Center, an LGBTQ youth services nonprofit. Liem testified in Tuesday’s hearing.
Nationally, the figure is 40%, according to statistics cited in the resolution. In Pennsylvania, 21% of transgender people report having experienced housing discrimination, and 10% reported experiencing homelessness in the past year, because of being transgender, according to the Williams Institute.
Students who identify as LGBTQ are statistically more likely to be verbally or physically assaulted at school because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, according to the resolution — and those students are less likely to feel safe reporting bullying or harassment to staff.
Almost half (47%) of LGBTQ Pennsylvanians report having experienced discrimination or harassment in the workplace, and 17% reported employment discrimination, including being fired or not hired, because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In Pennsylvania, 26% of LGBTQ adults reported not having enough money for food in 2021, compared to 13% of non-LGBTQ adults, according to the resolution.
According to statistics cited in Landau’s resolution, 26% of LGBTQ+ adults in Pennsylvania reported not having enough money for food in 2021 and LGBTQ+ people are more likely to experience housing insecurity, workplace discrimination or harassment.
LGBTQ Pennsylvanians report barriers to health care and insurance, with ⅓ saying they believe most of their health care providers lack expertise to address the specific needs of an LGBTQ person, according to the resolution. And while 70% of LGBTQ Pennsylvanians report having a mental health challenge in the past year, only 40% are getting the counseling or treatment they need.
Liem said he hopes the hearings will lead to greater resources and protective policies so LGBTQ Philadelphians get what they need to survive and thrive.