Pennsylvania

High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality

2019
State Equality Index

State Overview

State Does Not Support

  • Housing

    State does not prohibit housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

  • Employment

    State does not prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

  • Hate Crimes

    State does not have a law that addresses hate or bias crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

  • Public Accommodations

    State does not prohibit discrimination in public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

  • School Anti-Bullying

    State does not have a law that addresses harassment and/or bullying of students based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

  • Education

    State does not have a law that addresses discrimination against students based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

  • Anti-Conversion Therapy

    This state has no restrictions on so-called "conversion therapy."

State Partially Supports

  • Transgender Healthcare

    State has a ban on insurance exclusions for transgender healthcare, but does not provide transgender-inclusive health benefits to state employees.

State Supports

  • Marriage Equality & Other Relationship Recognition

    State issues marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

  • Gender Marker Updates On Identification Documents

    State has laws or policies that facilitate a gender marker update on both driver’s licenses and birth certificates.

Active Laws & Policies

Key:

LGBTQ-friendly statewide law or policy present LGBTQ-friendly statewide law or policy not present Anti-LGBTQ statewide law or policy present No statewide law or policy present Not applicable
No LGBTQ-friendly statewide law or policy present for both sexual orientation and gender identity Statewide law or policy present for both sexual orientation and gender identity
Statewide law or policy present for sexual orientation only Statewide law or policy present for gender identity only

Parenting Laws

Pro-Equality Laws

  • Policy exists: Second Parent Adoption
  • Surrogacy Laws
  • Foster Care Non-Discrimination
  • Parental Presumption for Same-Sex Couples
  • Foster Parent Training Required
  • Consent to Inseminate
  • Policy exists: De Facto Parent Recognition

Anti-Equality Laws

  • Prohibition of Surrogacy
  • Laws Permitting Discrimination in Adoption/Foster Placement

Hate Crimes & Criminal Justice Laws

Pro-Equality Laws

  • Policy does not exist: Enumerated Hate Crime Laws
  • Policy does not exist: Mandatory Reporting of Hate Crime Statistics
  • Elimination of Bias Rage or Panic Defense for Criminal Acts
  • Policy does not exist: Prohibiting Profiling Based on Actual or Perceived LGBTQ Status by Law Enforcement

Anti-Equality Laws

  • Sodomy Laws
  • Policy exists: HIV/AIDS Criminalization Laws

Non-Discrimination Laws

Pro-Equality Laws

  • Policy does not exist: Employment
  • Policy does not exist: Housing
  • Policy does not exist: Public Accomodations
  • Policy does not exist: Education
  • Policy does not exist: Adoption
  • Policy does not exist: Foster Care
  • Policy does not exist: Insurance
  • Policy does not exist: Credit
  • Policy does not exist: Jury Selection
  • Policy exists for both sexual orientation and gender identity: Colleges & Universities
  • Policy exists for both sexual orientation and gender identity: Non-Discrimination Policy for State Employees

Anti-Equality Laws

  • Restrictions on Municipal Protections
  • Policy does not exist: Religious Exemptions in State Non-Discrimination Laws

Religious Refusal & Relationship Recognition

Anti-Equality Laws

  • Policy exists: State Religious Freedom Restoration Act
  • Religious Exemptions for Professional Training/Practice
  • First Amendment Defense Act

Youth Laws

Pro-Equality Laws

  • Anti-Bullying Laws - Enumerated Categories in Law
  • Anti-Bullying Laws - Enumerated Model Policy
  • Anti-Bullying Laws - Alternative Discipline
  • Policy exists: Anti-Bullying Laws - Cyberbullying
  • Policy exists: School Suicide Prevention Policies Required
  • Transgender Inclusion in Sports
  • Protection from Conversion Therapy
  • Laws to Address LGBTQ Youth Homelessness
  • LGBTQ Inclusive Sex Education Laws
  • LGBTQ Inclusive Juvenile Justice Policies

Anti-Equality Laws

  • Inequality in Age of Consent for Same-Sex Couples
  • School Laws that Criminalize Youth
  • Anti-Bullying Laws that Prohibit Enumeration
  • Laws that Restrict Inclusion of LGBTQ Topics in Schools

Health & Safety Laws

Pro-Equality Laws

  • Policy does not exist: LGBTQ Non-Discrimination Protections in ACA Exchanges
  • Policy exists: Ban on Insurance Exclusions for Trans Healthcare
  • Policy exists: Transgender Healthcare Inclusion in State Medicaid
  • Trans Inclusive Health Benefits for State Employees
  • Policy exists: Name and Gender Marker Updates on Driver's Licenses
  • Policy exists: Name and Gender Marker Updates on Birth Certificates
  • Policy exists for both sexual orientation and gender identity: Health Data Collection - BRFSS
  • Policy exists for sexual orientation only: Health Data Collection - YRBSS
  • All-Gender Single Occupancy Facilities

Anti-Equality Laws

  • Laws Prohibiting Transgender People from Receiving Appropriate ID
  • Transgender Exclusions in State Medicaid Coverage

Related Resources

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