At WLP, we defend access to gender-affirming care and fight all efforts to surveil, control, or endanger transgender and gender-expansive Pennsylvanians. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, so here are three key facts about Pennsylvania law and trans rights:
#1: No law in Pennsylvania prohibits gender-affirming care for adolescents or adults.
Despite federal attempts to limit transgender healthcare, Pennsylvania law protects access to gender-affirming care. Under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, it’s illegal to discriminate based on sex (which includes gender identity and expression) or based on a disability or diagnosis such as gender dysphoria. In September, WLP filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission after a group of young people were denied gender-affirming care at UPMC Children’s Hospital.
#2 Restricting transgender student-athletes from certain sports teams is illegal.
Some lawmakers continue to push bills that would exclude transgender students from teams matching their gender identity. But such policies violate both federal and state law. Courts have made it clear: Title IX and the Fourteenth Amendment protect students from discrimination based on gender identity. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and Pennsylvania Constitution also prohibit discrimination based on sex. In March, WLP sent a letter to the PIAA explaining that Pennsylvania school districts that exclude transgender student-athletes would be violating both state and federal law.
#3 Pennsylvania anti-discrimination law protects transgender people.
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) bans discrimination in employment, housing, education, and places of public accommodation. In 2023, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission confirmed that “sex” under this law includes gender identity, gender expression, and differences in sexual development.
The bottom line: Transgender Pennsylvanians have strong legal protections. WLP is here to ensure those rights are upheld and that everyone in the Commonwealth can live safely, with dignity, and without government interference.
