Political fallout continues to grow around Allegheny County Council President Pat Catena after a campaign mailer widely condemned as anti-trans sparked outrage from LGBTQ leaders, elected officials, Democratic organizations, and local residents.
In the past 48 hours, community members have launched a petition calling for Catena’s removal as president of Allegheny County Council, while organizers are urging residents to attend the next County Council meeting on Tuesday, May 12, at 5:00 PM to publicly address the controversy.
The controversy stems from a Democratic primary campaign mailer sent by Catena in the Pennsylvania House District 45 race against opponent Brittany Bloam. The mailer attacked Bloam over endorsements from organizations including Steel City Stonewall Democrats and referenced “transgender athletes” and “extreme left groups” in language critics described as fear-based and transphobic.
The backlash has since expanded well beyond campaign criticism.
A public petition now circulating online calls for Catena’s immediate removal as president of Allegheny County Council and urges Democratic organizations to withdraw institutional support from his campaign.
The petition argues that Catena’s actions “fall below the standard expected from the President of Allegheny County Council” and accuses him of using “divisive rhetoric and fear-based campaigning” targeting vulnerable communities.
Among its demands, the petition calls for Catena’s removal as council president, withdrawal of Democratic organizational support, a public apology to transgender residents and families, and a public commitment that identity-based political attacks “will not be normalized in Allegheny County politics.”
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TranYOUniting leader Dena Stanley urged community members to sign the petition and attend Tuesday’s council meeting.
“This is what community looks like,” Stanley wrote. “Showing up and speaking out when hate tries to make itself comfortable here locally.”
Organizers are encouraging residents interested in making public comment to sign up before the deadline 24 hours ahead of the meeting.
Elected officials condemn Catena’s tactics
The controversy has also triggered unusually sharp criticism from Democratic elected officials.
State Representative Arvind Venkat issued an extensive public statement accusing Catena of “saying or doing anything to win” and warning that such conduct damages public trust in democratic institutions.
Venkat criticized Catena for seeking Steel City Stonewall Democrats’ endorsement before later “demoniz[ing] the vulnerable trans community” and called on the Allegheny County Democratic Committee to stop providing campaign resources supporting Catena’s candidacy.
Congressman Chris Deluzio also publicly criticized the mailer and the political strategy behind it.
“I have no patience for Democrats using culture wars to try and divide us,” Deluzio wrote in a social media post. “That’s the Republican playbook to carry water for the corrupt and powerful, we shouldn’t do the same.”
The Allegheny County Democratic Committee similarly acknowledged that the mailer “contains language harmful to the transgender community” and stated that the organization does not support attacks targeting LGBTQ residents.
Steel City Stonewall Democrats previously condemned the mailer as transphobic and called for a public apology.
Brittany Bloam, Catena’s opponent in the Democratic primary, also forcefully rejected the attacks.
In a public statement, Bloam said she was proud of endorsements from organizations including Planned Parenthood and Steel City Stonewall Democrats and accused Catena of focusing on “attacking marginalized communities” rather than addressing issues affecting local families.
“Trans people are our neighbors and have a right to basic human dignity, privacy, and respect,” Bloam wrote. “These tactics, which usually belong to MAGA extremists, are a shameful distraction from making real, measurable change for our families.”
As outrage continues to build, organizers are now turning their focus toward Tuesday’s Allegheny County Council meeting, where residents are expected to publicly confront Catena over the mailer and demand accountability from county leadership.
The growing backlash reflects broader concerns among LGBTQ residents and allies about the normalization of anti-trans rhetoric in local Democratic politics, particularly at a time when transgender communities nationwide continue to face escalating political attacks.