Currently, people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community face a pay gap of about 10% and extreme discrimination in their workplace. This includes not getting hired, being fired, denied promotions and benefits, verbal or physical harassment, offensive jokes, slurs, and more. All this can cause people to have mental health issues or worsen existing issues, quit their jobs, and even hide their identities to be seen and treated as “normal”. 

White gay and lesbian people are 40%-43% less likely to be hired than a white, straight man or woman. If they are a person of color, the chance that they will be turned away increases to 78%. Some, if not most of the time, they won't even get an interview if the company knows they are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Trans people are two times less likely to be employed than a cisgender person. With these major injustices happening around us, it is our job as allies and members alike to fight for change in our prejudiced society. 

One way we, as Pennsylvania citizens, can help address this discrimination is by lobbying our elected officials to pass the Equality Act. The Equality Act is a bill that, once passed, "Prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity with respect to businesses, employment, housing, federally funded programs, and other settings." This bill will create a new future for the LGBTQIA+ community, opening doors that have previously been closed.

While lobbying for change may seem daunting, it can be as simple as an email, writing a letter, or making a phone call. Even though these actions are small, they can feel intimidating to some people. The ready-to-send email included on this website can help make advocacy more accessible to all individuals by alleviating the stress some may feel when drafting an email or making a phone call. Once a name is added at the bottom, the email is ready to be sent out, and change is one step closer.

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