The past few weeks have been chaotic and deeply concerning. A tidal wave of executive orders and policy changes is directly impacting our trans and nonbinary community members and threatening the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ individuals across the country. We know that things are scary. We wish we had better answers. We are doing our best to stay informed, assess the situation, and determine how we can support our community.
๐ฃ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐโ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐.
If you are struggling with obstaclesโwhether related to documentation (passports, VA benefits, school policies), medical concerns, or legal issuesโcontact us. We may be able to help or connect you with someone who can. If you need a trusted primary care provider, we have recommendations. We are here for you.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ
Lancaster County Chooses Love (LCCL) remains steadfast in our mission to support and uplift the LGBTQ+ community. We provide resources, safe spaces, and mutual aid to those in need. If you are looking for ways to engage, here are some options:
โข ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ: We offer a food pantry, a gender-affirming clothing closet, and a lending library with LGBTQ+ and social justice-focused books.
โข ๐ฉ๐ผ๐น๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ: Join us in creating a safer and more inclusive community.
โข ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฒ: Your financial support helps us continue providing essential services.
โข ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ผ๐๐: If you or someone you love is struggling, we are here to listen and support you.
๐ง๐ผ ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐
Now, more than ever, we need your support. Stand with us.
โข ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐.
โข ๐ฉ๐ผ๐น๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ.
โข ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ค+ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐. Listen to them, affirm them, and support them in tangible ways.
โข ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. Your voice matters. Your advocacy makes a difference.
๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ง๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ
In addition to community-wide efforts, there are actions you can take to protect yourself and others:
โข๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ: Ensure your passport, state ID, and other legal documents reflect your correct name and gender marker where possible. Seek legal assistance if needed.
โข ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐: Find and stay connected with affirming spaces, whether in person or online. Mutual support is essential in difficult times.
โข ๐๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐: Stay informed about local and federal protections and resources available to LGBTQ+ individuals.
โข๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐: If you need medical, legal, or financial assistance, seek out organizations that specialize in LGBTQ+ support. We can help connect you.
โข ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ-๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ: Take time for rest and mental well-being. Community resilience starts with individual well-being.
โข ๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐: Contact local and federal representatives, sign petitions, and participate in community organizing efforts to push back against harmful policies.
โข ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ค+ ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐: Economic support for LGBTQ+-owned businesses and non-profits helps strengthen community resilience.
๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด & ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐ข๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
We want to reassure our community that LCCL does not receive direct federal or state funding. The attempted and potential future federal grant freezes will not have a direct impact on our programs. However, the Central PA Food Bank, which supplies food to us at a lower cost, does receive some federal funding. We have not yet received word on how their funding may be affected, but we have enough funds to cover higher costs for a few months while things get sorted out. If you have any questions about how federal-level changes might impact us, please reach out.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด?
The following executive orders and actions are part of a broad attack on LGBTQ+ rights:
โข ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ, erasing protections for transgender and nonbinary people.
โข ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐น๐.
โข ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐, ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป (๐๐๐) ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ from federal institutions.
โข ๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป against LGBTQ+ people.
โข ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ-๐๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ.
โข ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป and undermine federally funded programs that many rely on for safety, health, and stability.
In addition, increased economic instability, tariffs, and policy shifts disproportionately harm LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly LGBTQ+ people of color and immigrants within our community. These actions are not just political; they have real and dangerous consequences for our lives.
๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ & ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐
LCCL is committed to ensuring that no one in our community feels alone.
โข ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ: Open Wednesdays (5:00โ8:00 p.m.) and Saturdays (9:30 a.m.โ12:00 p.m.) at 106 E. Main Street, Lititz, PA.
โข ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐ฑ:We help connect community members with financial assistance, housing support, and medical resources.
โข ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ & ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐: From youth and caregiver support groups to community-building activities, we provide spaces where people can find connection and solidarity.
We will continue fighting for our community, advocating for your rights, and ensuring you have the support you need. If you have concerns or questions, reach out. We may not always have all the answers, but we will always stand with you.
๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐,
Lancaster County Chooses Love
