Category: Press Release

Press releases and statements from the Coalition

Behavioral Health & Wellness Clinic

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition

July 13, 2023

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition is gearing up to launch a new behavioral health and wellness clinic; a much-needed addition to Lancaster’s healthcare community! Here’s some more information about the partnerships we’re forging and the health resources we’re planning to have on-site:

In partnership with Touchstone Foundation, we have the opportunity to offer therapy on a sliding scale. Funds will go directly to the clinician.

Valley Youth House will offer case management and housing services for LGBTQ+ youth up to age 24 one day per week!

We’re also thrilled to begin offering free walk-in rapid HIV testing provided by Alder Health starting September 18th!  Walk-in testing will be available from 2-6pm. From then on, we will continue to offer walk-in testing on the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month:

  • September 18th
  • October 2nd and 16th
  • November 6th and 20th
  • December 4th and 18th

In partnership with Family Health Council, we will launch our Sexual Health and Wellness Program starting with our Prep program. The Prep program will focus on health education and outreach for LGBTQ+ teens.  

Finally, In partnership with AARP we will host a “Coffee and Conversation” series! Join us July 30th for Death Cafe: discussion around end of life planning and presentation from Melissa Ressler, Death Doula and ED of Lancaster Downtowners. Stay tuned for more info soon!

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition Receives Generous Grants to Support Operations

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition

June 28, 2023

The Lancaster LGBT Coalition is thankful and overjoyed to honor the following organizations who have granted funding to the Coalition’s cause for a more equitable Lancaster community.

We’d like to recognize the following organizations for their generosity:

  • Acts of Generosity
  • United Way’s “Level Up and Launch” Grant Program
  • AARP
  • And we’ve received joint funding from:
    • United Way
    • City of Lancaster
    • And others!

Combined, these organization have granted us over $125,000 dollars! These contributions will continue to provide the local Lancaster LGBTQ community with our Emergency HEART Housing program, Social Groups, and general operations!

To continue our efforts to creating a more equitable Lancaster consider Donating here!

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank these organizations and our community for their support. Through their combined generosity, we’re able to keep our doors open and our care flowing.

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition Announces Final Week of Pride Month Events

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition

June 26, 2023

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition is excited to announce the final week of Pride Month events! The Coalition has been celebrating Pride Month all June long with a variety of events, and we’re excited to wrap up the month on a high note.

On Monday, June 26, A Concrete Rose Bookbar and Blazin’ J’s are hosting a fundraiser for the Coalition in Downtown Lancaster! $5 from every meal purchased will go to the Coalition! We’re also offering a limited-edition “Flamin’” tee shirt and Fuego de la Vida Margarita for purchase. Attendees can pre-order a meal and limited-edition shirt at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/662476744777

On Tuesday, June 27, the Coalition is celebrating National HIV Testing Day with Walgreen’s at 1262 Lititz Pike. Free HIV testing and more will be available!

All week throughout the end of June, Decades Lancaster is offering a limited-time Pride Daquiri Cocktail Pouch! $1 from every drink sold will go to the Coalition.

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition’s Executive Director Has Been Recognized in the PA Pride Power 100!

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition

June 1, 2023

We’re so thankful to City and State PA for naming our Executive Director K Foley as number 69 in this year’s Pride Power 100! This is K’s second year in the listing and we couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to represent Lancaster and our LGBTQ+ community.

K is our co-founder and executive director, and has overseen the launch of the Homelessness Emergency Assistance and Response Team (HEART) program in February 2021 and the Loop community hub in June 2022. Our latest initiatives include an emergency overnight clinic and a behavioral health and wellness program with pop-up clinics in partnership with Planned Parenthood and Alder Health.

City & State’s Pride Power 100 – compiled by freelance writer Jeremy Rodriguez – recognizes the people in the state who are making strides to create safe spaces and remove the limits for current and future generations. 

Local Organizations Celebrating Pride are Invited to Apply Today for a PA Pride Community Grant!

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition

May 26, 2023

We’re excited to once again share the opportunity for local organizations to apply for a PA Pride Community Grant!

These grants, provided by the PA Tourism Office and administered in partnership with Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition, are to provide funding to uplift LGBTQ+ Pride festivals and events across the Commonwealth.

Any organization presenting an event from May 1 to September 10, 2023 are eligible. Applications must be returned by June 10, so apply today!

Many thanks to the PA Tourism Office for their partnership with the Coalition! The Office is beautifully aligned with the Coalition’s mission and we’re thrilled to be a partner in this initiative.

Editorial: Trans Day of Visibility

K Foley

March 31, 2023

Today on Transgender Day of Visibility, there are 455 known anti-human rights legislative bills in 27 states targeting the LGBTQ+ community. The biggest target of these bills are our transgender and non-binary children. 

As a non-binary trauma therapist for the LGBTQ+ community I promise you this: no amount of conversion therapy, no denial of sports inclusion or lack of access to gender affirming care will “change anyone’s minds.“

It will, however, succeed in killing us.

To every politician, health care provider, or hospital leader who feels like “playing both sides” by making deals with politicians who propose/support anti-LGBT legislation is acceptable: it is not. 

To every parent, guardian, or pastor who believes that Queer identity is – generously speaking –  “just confusion” or “the devil”: it is not. To every school administrator or board that thinks our childrens’ identities and basic rights are fair game for a school board to debate: they really are not. 

I guarantee: If you do not step it up and enact swift policy changes, you will be responsible for our statistics:

  • More than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youth in the U.S. seriously consider suicide each year 
  • At least one LGBTQ+ child attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the U.S. 
  • Over 51% of transgender people have attempted suicide

As the Executive Director of Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition, Trans Day of Visibility is even more important than ever because nobody seems to want to collect data and statistics about trans people while we are still alive. I struggle to prove the need for access to healthcare and housing because people aren’t asking. You know what stats we have plenty of statistics about? Our deaths: hate crimes, suicides, mass shootings. 

Let’s change that. On May 1, 2023 We are launching an LGBTQ+ behavioral health and wellness program, an expansion of our subsidized housing program and an emergency overnight shelter. We are also seeking to include intergenerational communal housing because of the definite lack of affirming shelters or retirement communities in Lancaster.

We have been delayed long enough. We need funding for an accessibility ramp and a sprinkler system for our space. More than anything we need to own our building to have autonomy and ability to expand. 

I am sure we can all agree that ALL children deserve a loving home, to play sports, to be called by their name, loved for who they are, and to not be shot in schools. Right?

The time of hiding hate behind so-called faith is over. Religious freedom can no longer be used as a veil for blatant discrimination. We deserve to love ourselves, our lives, and our partners without fear. We demand better from our society.

Lancaster’s GAYLA to Celebrate Community Changemakers is Back!

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition

March 13, 2023

2023 Gayla: STARDUST RHAPSODY May 13th 2023

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition will celebrate Queer identity, found family, and the progress we’ve made at our 2nd GAYLA at the Holiday Inn Lancaster on the evening of Saturday, May 13th.

Our theme this year is STARDUST RHAPSODY. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in their celestial best starting at 6:00 pm. Michelle Johnsen will be on-site assisting with photography, MAJOR VIBES will provide the tunes, and an exclusive signature cocktail and mocktail will be available all night long. Awards ceremony ticket holders will join our Galactic MC Chi Chi Lazaro once again as we honor changemakers in the Lancaster community.

At 10:30 pm, everyone is invited to our cosmic jamboree at The Imperial!

Tickets are available for purchase here.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be mandatory for this in-person event. Masks are highly encouraged, especially ones that are on-theme! 

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition Receives $25k Safety & Security Grant from the State of Pennsylvania

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition

December 16, 2022

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition is extremely thankful to the State of Pennsylvania’s PCCD’s Nonprofit Security Fund Grant Program for awarding us a $25,000 grant to improve the safety and security of The Loop, our HEART Program housing locations, and our LGBTQ+ Health Clinic opening in early 2023.

We are a grassroots organization that works to create a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ people in Lancaster County. We do this by providing education, advocacy, and support to our community and to local businesses and organizations looking to make a positive impact.

“We live in a time of increased targeted violence against LGBTQ+ individuals and families, as well as focused attacks on our basic rights. Our headquarters is located in the heart of Lancaster City. The concern for the safety of our staff and volunteers has slowed our progress with initiatives and programming, but this grant will give us the ability to swiftly implement a person-centered security model that is rooted in working to ensure that all intersections of our community feel welcomed and protected.

We commit to making choices that shift how security is often used in a way that can feel threatening to targeted communities. The biggest failure in that approach is that it is often used to intimidate and justify discrimination.

We will use innovative methods that continue to involve input from our community. And just like equity is a process and not a destination, we will continue to reevaluate our security protocols so that they are not only protective, but inclusive and welcoming to all.”

K. Foley (she/they), Executive Director

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition to Participate in the 2022 Extra Give

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition

November 15, 2022

Give Extra to Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition, November 18 2022

Give Extra to Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition on November 18th

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition will participate in the 2022 Extra Give on Friday, November 18th! Make sure to Give Extra to Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition throughout the day to help support our continued efforts to create a truly equitable Lancaster County, and to develop The Loop; our new hub for safety and community in Downtown Lancaster.

We’re planning to celebrate four years of Extra Give participation with an event-packed day full of celebration and opportunities to see the impact of your donations. Here’s what we’re planning throughout the day:

7-9AM: Morning Rush Hour at Square One
Start off the morning right with coffee, snacks, and even a selection of beans at Square One Coffee Co. 10% of proceeds will go to Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition

9AM-2PM: Information & Swag Table at Clipper Stadium
Hang out with our very own Program Coordinator Glitch SteelHeart and learn about the Coalition’s services, programming, and training opportunities for individuals, organizations, and more! Score some swag while you’re there to represent our local Queer community!

6-11PM: Extra Give Gaming Livestream on Our YouTube Channel
Join us online starting at 6PM for hours of Queer gaming fun with several different hosts! We’ll start off with classic and modern PC, PSX, and PS2 games until 8PM, then power on our imaginations for a live tabletop gaming experience from our LGBT RPG group! Keep an eye out for the possibility of special prizes and shout-outs on stream!

7-11PM: Community Celebration & Raffle at The Loop
RSVP now to celebrate another year of progress and giving in our community party at The Loop! Enjoy live music from DJ GiGi, and stick around ’til the end of the night to join in on a raffle ticket fundraiser for a unique piece of artwork by Lancaster artist Jeff Sibbett!

We’re so excited to see you there, and to thank you for everything you’ve helped to make possible. Make sure to Give Extra to Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition on November 18th to support community, authenticity, and love!

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition Marks Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR)

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition

November 14, 2022

Every year on or around the 20th of November trans people worldwide gather for Transgender Day of Remembrance to remember those we have lost to violence in the past year.

Year over year, the average number of trans deaths is on the rise. Since October 2021, at least 315 trans individuals have died due to murder or suicide. This figure does not include closeted individuals, those whose trans identity was erased in their obituaries, and many more who we must honor and remember.

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition will host a digital installation piece honoring the names, identities, and histories of trans community members we’ve lost, which will be installed in our courtyard at The Loop; 117 E Chestnut Street. Join us on November 20th to ensure that those we have lost will not be forgotten.