(C) Pennsylvania Capital-Star
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New Philly City Council members talk LGBTQ rights, priorities for 2023 [1]
['Special To The Capital-Star', 'More From Author', '- December']
Date: 2022-12-12 11:30:41+00:00
By Michele Zipkin
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia City Council recently welcomed four new members: Quetcy Lozada in District 7, Anthony Phillips in District 9, and Sharon Vaughn and Jim Harrity in at-large seats. The four Democrats replaced four long-time Councilmembers — Maria Quiñones Sánchez, Cherelle Parker, Allan Domb and Derek Green — all of whom announced their bids for mayor. The new Council members will serve out the remainder of the term, which concludes at the end of 2023.
Vaughn brings to her role 33 years of experience working for City Hall politicians, including former Councilmembers Augusta Clark, Marian Tasco and Derek Green. Her priorities as an incoming City Council member are tackling gun violence, making it easier for high school youth to join unions that will facilitate secure jobs, raising the minimum wage, and ensuring that Philadelphia residents have up-to-date, affordable housing.
When it comes to working for the LGBTQ+ community, Vaughn said, “I believe everyone deserves a fair chance at anything that they want to pursue in life. Prejudice is prejudice, whether it’s prejudice because of a person’s sexuality, because of a person’s color of skin, or who they choose to love. I believe that people that are LGBTQ should be allowed to live in society with the respect that we all deserve. I’m always going to fight for [people’s] rights no matter who you are, what you look like, or who you decide to call your soulmate.”
Vaughn expressed openness to listening to the needs of the LGBTQ community and helping to solve problems.
As the new councilmember for District 9, which runs along Philadelphia’s northern boundary from Stenton in Northwest Philadelphia to Lawndale in the lower Northeast, Phillips prioritizes public safety and plans to fight for working families while putting youth at the center of those efforts.
As a teenager, Phillips founded the nonprofit Youth Action, which provides middle and high school students with training, leadership mentoring, and funding to help educate them about community concerns. Phillips also works as director of pre-college programs for TeenSharp, where he helps students access college free of debt.
“For me, it is important that we keep all of our children safe, and in this particular case, LGBTQ youth,” Phillips said. “There are times in which people are attacked not just from an outside person coming in, but internally – children can be attacked through bullying, as well as through not being supported by faculty and staff. There’s not enough systems there. All young people deserve to be treated with love, with a level of respect, and most importantly, to receive the best quality of education in schools so that they can have opportunity.”
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