A filmmaker was arrested at the state Capitol Monday after gluing his hand to a Senate railing to protest a lawmaker he considered culpable in the suicide deaths of five transgender young people in Lancaster County.
Around 1 p.m., James Lantz, 62, of Burlington, Vt., was reported by observers of disrupting a Senate session over the course of several minutes by shouting at Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster County; throwing flyers onto the Senate floor from the fourth-floor visitors gallery and gluing his hand to the railing.
The flyers carried a photo of Aument and cited his support “of a number of Pennsylvania’s anti-LGBTQ and anti-Trans legislation.” The papers further called on Aument to make a public statement of condolence to the youths’ families, recognize his and the Republicans’ culpability in their deaths and resign as the Senate’s majority whip.
Lantz, who posts videos to his website, Angry Gay Grandpa, was removed from the railing by a medical team. He was charged with criminal mischief, institutional vandalism, obstructing administration of law or other governmental function, and disorderly conduct, according to the state Department of General Services. He was taken to the Dauphin County Judicial Center for arraignment.
“It’s heartbreaking that these children and young adults felt they had no other option but to take their own lives, and it’s abhorrent that an independent filmmaker from out of state would attempt to profit off their tragic deaths by promoting himself and his films,” Aument said in an emailed statement about the incident.
According to Senate sources, the cost of removing Lantz’s hand from the railing and the damage was estimated by the Capitol Preservation Committee at about $1,000. A late afternoon call to the Capitol Preservation Committee to confirm that damage estimate was unsuccessful.
On Monday afternoon, Lantz, while still in police custody, had a video about his arrest posted as part of his web series about trans youth suicides “in the wake of anti-Trans rhetoric and legislation sweeping the US.”
“He has been an advocate for gay and LGBTQ people for a very long time. It affects his life and he also has family members who are queer and members of the LGBTQ community. He’s very up to date with the politics surrounding the subject matter,” said a Lantz assistant who declined to identify himself. He was uncertain when the video about Lantz’s arrest was posted on the website.
In the video, Lantz singles out Aument for “pushing numerous Republican led anti-LGBTQ bills.”
Aument has advocated for legislation that would give parents the ability to opt their children out of sexually explicit content in curriculum and library materials. His bill passed the Senate in the last legislative session by a 30-20 vote but the state House declined to take it up. Aument reintroduced the bill this session and it passed the Senate in October by a near party-line 29-21 vote. It now awaits action in the House Education Committee.
In his video, Lantz said, “Bullying and anti-trans rhetoric has been cited in some of their deaths which was encouraged and inflamed by anti-LGBTQ legislation and rhetoric spread by Sen. Ryan Aument and the GOP. My heart breaks for these Lancaster kids and their families.”
According to a Senate source, the families of the five young people, ages 12 to 22 at the time of their deaths, had not reached out to Aument’s office on this issue or anything related to it.
Jan Murphy may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X at @JanMurphy.
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