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Pittsburgh City Council urges governor to affirm protection of gender‑affirming care in Pennsylvania
Summary
Council adopted a will-of-council asking Governor Josh Shapiro to publicly affirm that gender‑affirming care is evidence-based health care protected under Pennsylvania law and to ensure Medicaid/CHIP access and protections for providers.
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh City Council on June 24 adopted a will-of-council asking Governor Josh Shapiro to affirm that gender-affirming care is “evidence-based health care” and remains protected under Pennsylvania law, and to take steps to preserve access to care through public programs and to protect providers from federal intimidation, the resolution says.
The will of council text, read into the record during the meeting, frames access to evidence-based health care as a matter of bodily autonomy and cites major U.S. medical associations’ endorsement of gender-affirming care for youth and adults. The measure also urges the governor to affirm Medicaid, Medical Assistance and CHIP coverage for LGBTQ‑affirming services and to act to protect Pennsylvania providers and health networks.
Council moved the will of council and approved it by voice vote; the motion was seconded and recorded as passed.
Why it matters
The will of council is a formal public statement expressing the city’s position and asking the state executive to act or make a public statement. It does not, by itself, change state law or funding rules, but it signals municipal elected officials’ priorities and may be used to urge state-level action.
Council record and language
The text read at the meeting included the language: “Whereas access to quality evidence based health care is a fundamental issue of bodily autonomy that affects all Pennsylvanians regardless of gender identity or ****** orientation” (language in the meeting transcript contains a censored term). The will of council also states that “Decisions about medical care, including gender affirming treatment, belong to patients, families, and their health care providers,” and calls on the governor to affirm protections and to make clear that Pennsylvania “remains a safe haven for providers committed to delivering quality care to all patients.”
Procedure and next steps
Council approved the will of council at the June 24 meeting by the vote recorded in the minutes. Implementation would be limited to communicating the council’s position to the governor and to publicizing the adopted will of council; it does not itself alter city or state statutes or funding mechanisms.
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Text and positions quoted above are drawn from the council meeting record read into the public record on June 24, 2025.
