Pennsylvania senators split over LGBTQ center as Congress races to avoid a shutdown
Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman split over funding for a Philadelphia LGBTQ community center targeted by Libs Of TikTok for hosting BDSM, kink and fetish events.
WASHINGTON — An unusual clash over money for a Philadelphia LGBTQ community center and a pro-gun provision has created turmoil over a government funding bill as Congress seeks to pass it days before the deadline to avert a partial shutdown.
The legislation is still expected to pass, barring any surprises, but it has caused some intraparty tension among Democrats ahead of a deadline late Friday to keep the government funded.
It began when Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey, both D-Pa., issued letters Tuesday to top appropriators withdrawing support for funding for the community center. Senate leaders moved to speedily remove the money from the bill.
Around the same time, the conservative X account “Libs of TikTok” sent a viral post indicating that the center rents its space out to a third party that hosts biweekly parties involving “BDSM, kink and fetish” among adults. A Democratic source said appropriators had been given the information by a different organization — not Libs of TikTok — and flagged it to the two Pennsylvania senators.
“We received new information and decided not to support the appropriation,” Casey said Wednesday, adding that he believes the money has been rescinded.
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