Pennsylvania's Equality Profile
Quick Facts About Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's LGBTQ Policy Score
Sexual Orientation Policy Score
6.5/23
Fair
Gender Identity Policy Score
10.25/26
Fair
Overall Score
16.75/49
Fair
Learn More
Pennsylvania's LGBTQ Laws and Policies
Click on each issue for more information and to see where the state fits into the national landscape.
key
- Indicates state law or policy
- Indicates local laws or policies and/or partial law
- Indicates no law or policy
- Enumeration not applicable
| Relationship and Parental Recognition | Sexual Orientation | Gender Identity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | Law Exists? | Score | |
| 1/1 | ||||
| 1/1 | ||||
| 0/1 | ||||
| 0/1 | ||||
| 0/0.5 | 0/0.5 | |||
| 0/0.5 | 0/0.5 | |||
| 0/1 | ||||
| 0/0.5 | ||||
| 0/0.5 | ||||
| Subtotal | 2/7 | 0/1 | ||
| Relationship and Parental Recognition Total | 2/8 | |||
| State Nondiscrimination Laws | Sexual Orientation | Gender Identity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | Law Exists? | Score | |
As a result of a June 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, people in all states can seek recourse for employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity through the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and federal courts. |
||||
| 0.75/1 | 0.75/1 | |||
| 0.75/1 | 0.75/1 | |||
| 0.75/1 | 0.75/1 | |||
| 0/1 | 0/1 | |||
| 0.5/0.5 | 0.5/0.5 | |||
| No Negative Law | 0/-1 | No Negative Law | 0/-1 | |
| No Negative Law | 0/-1 | |||
| No Negative Law | 0/-1 | |||
| Subtotal | 2.75/4.5 | 2.75/4.5 | ||
| Nondiscrimination Total | 5.5/9 | |||
| Religious Exemption Laws | Sexual Orientation | Gender Identity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | Law Exists? | Score | |
|
Negative Law:
Broad "RFRA" Religious Exemption Law
|
Negative Law | -0.5/-0.5 | Negative Law | -0.5/-0.5 |
|
Negative Law:
Targeted Religious Exemption for Child Welfare Services
|
No Negative Law | 0/-1 | No Negative Law | 0/-1 |
|
Negative Law:
Targeted Religious Exemption for Medical Professionals
|
No Negative Law | 0/-1 | No Negative Law | 0/-1 |
| No Negative Law | 0/-0.5 | |||
| No Negative Law | 0/-0.5 | |||
| Subtotal | -0.5/-3.5 | -0.5/-2.5 | ||
| Religious Exemptions Total | -1/-6 | |||
| LGBTQ Youth Laws and Policies | Sexual Orientation | Gender Identity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | Law Exists? | Score | |
| 0.75/1 | 0.75/1 | |||
| 0/1 | 0/1 | |||
| No Negative Law | 0/-1 | No Negative Law | 0/-1 | |
| 0/1 | 0/1 | |||
| No Negative Law | 0/-1 | No Negative Law | 0/-1 | |
| No Negative Law | 0/-1 | No Negative Law | 0/-1 | |
| No Negative Law | 0/-0.5 | |||
| No Negative Law | 0/-1 | |||
| No Negative Law | 0/-1 | |||
|
Negative Law:
Forced Outing of Transgender Youth in Schools
|
No Negative Law | 0/-1 | ||
| 1/1 | 1/1 | |||
| 0/1 | 0/1 | |||
| Subtotal | 1.75/5 | 1.75/5 | ||
| LGBTQ Youth Total | 3.5/10 | |||
| Health Care Laws and Policies | Sexual Orientation | Gender Identity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | Law Exists? | Score | |
| 0/1 | 1/1 | |||
| No Negative Law | 0/-1 | |||
| 0/1 | ||||
| 1/1 | ||||
| 1/1 | ||||
| 0.5/0.5 | ||||
| 0.5/0.5 | 0.5/0.5 | |||
| 0.5/0.5 | 0.5/0.5 | |||
| 0/1 | 0/1 | |||
| No Negative Law | 0/-0.25 | No Negative Law | 0/-0.25 | |
| 0/0.5 | 0/0.5 | |||
| 0/1 | ||||
| 0/0.5 | ||||
| Subtotal | 1/3.5 | 4.5/8.5 | ||
| Health Care Total | 5.5/12 | |||
| Criminal Justice Laws and Policies | Sexual Orientation | Gender Identity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | Law Exists? | Score | |
| 0/1 | 0/1 | |||
| 0/1 | 0/1 | |||
| 0/1 | 0/1 | |||
|
Negative Law:
HIV Criminalization Laws
|
Negative Law | -0.5/-1 | Negative Law | -0.5/-1 |
|
Negative Law:
Restrictions on Drag Performances
|
No Negative Law | 0/-1 | No Negative Law | 0/-1 |
| Subtotal | -0.5/3 | -0.5/3 | ||
| Criminal Justice Total | -1/6 | |||
| Ability for Transgender People to Correct Name and Gender Marker on Identity Documents | Sexual Orientation | Gender Identity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | Law Exists? | Score | |
| 1/1 | ||||
| 0.75/1 | ||||
| 0/1 | ||||
| 0.5/0.5 | ||||
| 0/0.5 | ||||
| Subtotal | 0/0 | 2.25/4 | ||
| Identity Documents Total | 2.25/4 | |||
| Grand Totals | Sexual Orientation Policy Score |
Gender Identity Policy Score |
Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | 6.5/23 | 10.25/26 | 16.75/49 |
| Ratings | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Pennsylvania Local Ordinances
Local Nondiscrimination Ordinances
Sexual Orientation
47%
of population fully protected
0%
of population only partially protected
legend
State Protections
County Protections
City Protections
No Protections
Protections Banned
County map only shows areas with full protections for sexual orientation (i.e., discrimination prohibited in private employment, housing, and public accommodations)
City and County Numbers:
7 counties out of 67 have an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in private employment, housing, and public accommodations (full protections).
73 cities have an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in private employment, housing, and public accommodations (full protections).
0 municipality, not including those listed above, has an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in private employment, housing, or public accommodations (only partial protections). See table below.
47% of the state population is protected against discrimination based on sexual orientation in private employment, housing, and public accommodations (full protections).
An additional 0% of the state population is protected against discrimination based on sexual orientation in private employment, housing, or public accommodations (only partial protections).
Gender Identity
47%
of population fully protected
0%
of population only partially protected
legend
State Protections
County Protections
City Protections
No Protections
Protections Banned
County map only shows areas with full protections for gender identity (i.e., discrimination prohibited in private employment, housing, and public accommodations)
City and County Numbers:
7 counties out of 67 have an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in private employment, housing, and public accommodations (full protections).
73 cities have an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in private employment, housing, and public accommodations (full protections).
0 municipality, not including those listed above, has an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in private employment, housing, or public accommodations (only partial protections). See table below.
47% of the state population is protected against discrimination based on gender identity in private employment, housing, and public accommodations (full protections).
An additional 0% of the state population is protected against discrimination based on gender identity in private employment, housing, or public accommodations (only partial protections).
City and County Listing:
| Fully inclusive SO/GI protections |
Local Sexual Orientation Protections | Local Gender Identity Protections | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Housing | Public Accom. | Employment | Housing | Public Accom. | ||||
| Allegheny County | |||||||||
| Chester County | |||||||||
| Delaware County | |||||||||
| Erie County | |||||||||
| Lehigh County | |||||||||
| Northampton County | |||||||||
| Philadelphia City-County | |||||||||
| Abington Township | |||||||||
| Allentown | |||||||||
| Ambler | |||||||||
| Aspinwall | |||||||||
| Bethlehem | |||||||||
| Bloomsburg | |||||||||
| Bridgeport | |||||||||
| Bristol | |||||||||
| Camp Hill | |||||||||
| Carlisle | |||||||||
| Cheltenham Township | |||||||||
| Collegeville | |||||||||
| Conshohocken | |||||||||
| Crafton | |||||||||
| Dickson City | |||||||||
| Dormont | |||||||||
| Downingtown | |||||||||
| Doylestown | |||||||||
| East Norriton Township | |||||||||
| Easton | |||||||||
| Etna | |||||||||
| Gettysburg | |||||||||
| Harrisburg | |||||||||
| Hatboro | |||||||||
| Haverford Township | |||||||||
| Huntingdon | |||||||||
| Jenkintown | |||||||||
| Kennett Square | |||||||||
| Lancaster | |||||||||
| Lansdale | |||||||||
| Lansdowne | |||||||||
| Lower Gwynedd | |||||||||
| Lower Makefield Township | |||||||||
| Lower Merion Township | |||||||||
| Lower Providence Township | |||||||||
| Middletown Township | |||||||||
| Monessen | |||||||||
| Montgomery Township (Montgomery County) | |||||||||
| Mt. Lebanon Township | |||||||||
| Narberth | |||||||||
| New Hope | |||||||||
| Newtown Borough (Bucks County) | |||||||||
| Newtown Township (Bucks County) | |||||||||
| Norristown | |||||||||
| North Wales | |||||||||
| Phoenixville | |||||||||
| Pittsburgh | |||||||||
| Pittston | |||||||||
| Plymouth Township (Montgomery County) | |||||||||
| Reading | |||||||||
| Ross Township | |||||||||
| Royersford | |||||||||
| Scranton | |||||||||
| Sharpsburg | |||||||||
| Shippensburg Borough | |||||||||
| Springfield Township (Montgomery County) | |||||||||
| State College | |||||||||
| Stroudsburg | |||||||||
| Susquehanna Township | |||||||||
| Swarthmore | |||||||||
| Upper Dublin Township | |||||||||
| Upper Gwynedd Township | |||||||||
| Upper Merion Township | |||||||||
| Upper Moreland | |||||||||
| Upper Providence Township (Montgomery County) | |||||||||
| West Chester | |||||||||
| West Conshohocken | |||||||||
| West Norriton Township | |||||||||
| Whitemarsh Township | |||||||||
| Whitpain Township | |||||||||
| Wilkes-Barre | |||||||||
| Yardley | |||||||||
| York | |||||||||
- Local ordinance does not provide this protection, but county/state does |
- Local ordinance provides this protection |
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NOTE: Only jurisdictions with ordinances that prohibit discrimination in private employment are listed. Other localities may have executive orders that apply to government employees and these are not listed. The level of enforcement of these ordinances may vary by jurisdiction. This information is constantly changing, and we welcome suggestions for additions or changes. For questions regarding ordinances or any other aspect of the state profile, please contact MAP at info@mapresearch.org.
Local Conversion Therapy Ordinances
Conversion Therapy Bans
27%
of population protected by local laws
legend
State Protections
County Protections
City Protections
No Protections
Protections Banned
Note: Counties with * have county or local bans. These municipalities are also listed below.
City and County Numbers:
2 counties out of 67 have an ordinance prohibiting conversion therapy for minors.
14 cities have an ordinance prohibiting conversion therapy for minors.
