On Tuesday, October 17, with support from the Office of LGBT Affairs and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Mayor Jim Kenney signed Executive Order 4-23. This executive order officially declares Philadelphia a safe haven for individuals seeking, receiving, and providing gender-affirming care.

What does this mean?

This executive order contains two main sections. These sections apply to all members of the executive branch. The executive branch includes all departments, boards, commissions, offices, and agencies under the purview of the mayor. Notably, this includes the Philadelphia Police Department, the District Attorney, and the City Solicitor.

The first section of the executive order establishes that:

• Philadelphia’s executive branch has a responsibility to take all possible steps to protect people who seek, receive, and provide gender-affirming healthcare.
• The City has a responsibility to make sure medically necessary gender-affirming care is available to all people in custody of the City.

The second section of the executive order establishes that:

• No members of Philadelphia’s executive branch can provide information or City resources to help with any out-of-state investigations that want to punish people or parents for seeking, receiving, or providing gender-affirming care

This second section means that if any officials from another state contact City departments to try to get information about whether someone requested, received, or provided gender-affirming care in Philadelphia, the City will not help them in any way. Philadelphia will not allow another state to force us to help them punish people for providing or receiving gender-affirming care. Philadelphia will protect the rights of caregivers and doctors to provide transgender people with the most effective treatments available.

This prohibition on compliance with investigations does not apply if similar legislation were enacted in Pennsylvania or at the federal level. This is because local government is subject to state and federal laws. But, if such a law were to pass, this executive order still requires that all members of the executive branch deprioritize compliance with these investigations to the greatest extent possible.

Why does this matter?

Across the nation, politicians and news anchors are attempting to exploit people’s anxieties and lack of familiarity with gender-affirming care to stir up fear and win votes. In 2023 alone, 583 anti-trans bills have been proposed across the United States. A disturbing 178 of these bills target gender-affirming care for youth and adults. Some of these bills that have been enacted seek to punish parents and individuals who go out of state to receive gender-affirming care. Some laws like Florida Senate Bill 254 even go as far as to take state custody of children who receive or might receive gender-affirming care. This executive order ensures that Philadelphia will not help punish parents for providing life-saving care for their children.

What is the role of the Office of LGBT Affairs?

Led by director Celena Morrison-McLean, the Office of LGBT Affairs is dedicated to advocating for and supporting our LGBTQIA+ communities throughout Philadelphia. This includes supporting local community organizations, partnering on community events, addressing the concerns of our LGBTQIA+ community members, and advocating for policy changes within City government and throughout our community. You can contact the office by calling (215) 686-0330.