President Wendell Young IV and Secretary-Treasurer Michele Kessler at the Philadelphia Pride march.

Plymouth Meeting, PA – UFCW 1776 today joined the growing list of advocates in denouncing Senate Bill 1278, a version of Florida’s discriminatory “Don’t Say Gay” bill that would harm students and set back the fight for human rights and equal protections for all Pennsylvanians.

“This bill does not reflect the core values that define our Commonwealth. It is fearmongering at its absolute worst,” said UFCW 1776 President Wendell Young IV. “That Republican lawmakers voted to support this measure in the middle of Pride Month is especially offensive. All Pennsylvanians deserve better than this. UFCW 1776 is proud to represent 35,000 people, no matter their race, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. These lawmakers should be ashamed of themselves.”

The Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, education and youth advocates and other leaders in organized labor have denounced the legislation.

"Our members and are concerned about school safety and gun violence and about making ends meet,” Young said. “Lawmakers should be focused on adequately funding our schools and raising the minimum wage as Governor Wolf has proposed as part of the FY 2022-23 state budget that is being debated. It’s time to stop playing dangerous political games with LGBTQ children and their families and focus on real issues that Pennsylvanians care about.

MEDIA CONTACT: Nicole Young, nicoleyoung@ufcw1776.org.