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WHEREAS, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, the highest-ranking medical professional in the Commonwealth, who was appointed by Governor Wolf and unanimously confirmed by the legislature to the position in 2018, and who previously served as Pennsylvania's Physician General, was recently the intended target of actions meant to humiliate her and all members of the queer and trans community; and,
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WHEREAS, Dr. Levine is an accomplished physician, a graduate of Harvard College and the Tulane University School of Medicine, a current professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine, a matter expert, an active advocate for LGBTQIA+ individuals, and so much more; and,
WHEREAS, her steadfast leadership and courage during the current COVID-19 pandemic health crisis has been integral in saving thousands of lives in this Commonwealth; and,
WHEREAS, the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole experiences violence, isolation, hatred, and discrimination, but none more than members of the transgender community who are subject to, simultaneously, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny in their personal and professional lives on a daily basis; and,
WHEREAS, the Bloomsburg Fair stands as a reminder that transphobia and hatred towards LGBTQIA+ individuals is pervasive in the public eye and continues to be normalized here and across the states; and,
WHEREAS, neither the Federal government nor this Commonwealth's has enacted robust, explicit legal protections for individuals who are transgender, or are gender-expansive, against discrimination they face in employment, housing, and healthcare; and,
WHEREAS, Governor Wolf's response not only condemned those actions, but asked all to take on the responsibility of stepping in when they see transphobic or bigoted actions-to not be a bystander; and,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City Pittsburgh stands with Governor Wolf and Health Secretary Levine in condemning ...
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