Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center Announces Admiral Rachel Levine and Adrian Shanker to be Featured Speakers for 2025 PA LGBTQIA+ Health Summit

Allentown, PA Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center is proud to announce that Admiral (ret) Rachel Levine, MD and Adrian Shanker will be joining us as featured speakers at our 2025 PA LGBTQIA+ Health Summit on June 3rd at the Mack Experience Center.

Dr. Levine served as the 17th U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health from 2021-2025 and upon her confirmation, became the first transgender person to receive U.S. Senate confirmation. She also served as Admiral of the United States Public Health Service. Previously, she served as Pennsylvania's Physician General and Secretary of Health.

Adrian Shanker founded Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in 2014 and served as executive director until 2022. During that time, he co-created with the Pennsylvania Department of Health the biannual Pennsylvania LGBTQ Health Needs Assessment. He most recently served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy and Senior Advisor on LGBTQI+ Health Equity at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and previously served as Commissioner on the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, where he was unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate.

This will be the first time the summit has been in person since the COVID-19 pandemic. We are excited to bring this statewide conference to Allentown for the first time to present the data collected from the 2024 PA LGBTQ+ Health Needs Assessment. This survey, taken by thousands of LGBTQIA+ Pennsylvanian's biennially, covers many aspects of health and well-being from mental health to tobacco use to basic needs.

The summit provides vital information to healthcare providers, public health professionals, and legislators. "Our Health Matters" is the sub-theme of the summit, presenters will cover a variety of topics that impact the health and wellness of the LGBTQIA+ community in Pennsylvania.

"The PA LGBTQ Health Needs Assessment and the PA LGBTQIA+ Health Summit are the legacy of our Center and would not be possible without the dedication of the Center's founding executive Director, Adrian Shanker. We are thrilled to have Adrian return to present at this year's Summit on the state of LGBTQIA+ health policy and how it is impacting the health of our community.

We are honored to have Dr. Levine join us to speak at the Summit as she has not only been a leader for health in the state of Pennsylvania as Secretary of Health and Physician General, but also for the nation at large having served as the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services," said Krista Brown-Ly, Interim Executive Director at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center.

Adrian Shanker commented, "I am excited to return to Allentown for the 2025 PA LGBTQIA+ Health Summit, an event that has historically brought together critical voices in medicine, public health, and human services to improve the quality of health for LGBTQIA+ Pennsylvanians. The difficult reality is that LGBTQIA+ people experience health disparities in almost all aspects of our lives, and its conferences like this one that give me hope for a future where LGBTQIA+ people achieve health equity in our lifetime."

"We invite professionals who wish to provide affirming care to the LGBTQIA+ community to register for our LGBTQIA+ Health Summit," added Chrystina Obleschuk, Director of Programs at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, "Registration is free however spots are limited!" Those who wish to register or learn more can do so on our webpage.

About Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center:

Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center is a radically inclusive Queer space based in the Lehigh Valley. Our Center fosters Queer joy & liberation. Prioritizing the most marginalized populations throughout Pennsylvania, we provide innovative programs, services, and experiences for our LGBTQ+ siblings through connection, education, culture and healing.