Democrats achieve Pennsylvania trifecta, raising hopes for LGBTQ+ inclusive legislation

The “blue wave” Democrats hoped for this midterm season was quickly dubbed a “bluenami” as they flipped Republican-held seats in races across the country to retake control of Congress and reshape the balance of power at the federal level. Pennsylvania elections had a similar outcome — with four flipped state Senate seats, leading to the commonwealth’s first Democratic trifecta since 1993. The shift in power could give long-stalled LGBTQ+ legislation a new opportunity to advance. This includes codifying marriage equality, expanding nondiscrimination and hate crime protections, eliminating LGBTQ+ panic defenses, and supporting a safer and more streamlined path to name changes. Liberty City Democratic Club, Philadelphia’s local LGBTQ+ political advocacy group, celebrated the election results in a statement. “We proved that supporting LGBTQ communities is central to core American values, while sowing division and hate fails,” the statement reads.

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