Stirring controversy, the Rainbow Room announced it will provide free rides to teenagers in Lower Bucks County.
The Rainbow Room is Planned Parenthood Keystone’s LBTQ+ youth center for Bucks County, sponsoring programs for youth ages 14 to 21. The free rides for students at Pennsbury, Truman, or Neshaminy High Schools or any youth in Lower Bucks to attend the center’s Tuesday after-school programming. Parents must give their consent.
The Lower Bucks location is in Langhorne, while the Rainbow Room also has a location in Doylestown.
Previously, state Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks) obtained $630,000 in state funds to add the second location in Lower Bucks. Santarsiero said his youngest son had participated in Rainbow Room programs. The Rainbow Room made headlines when it held a queer prom where gift bags with condoms, dental dams, and lubrication were handed out.
Canadian dad Chris Elston, aka “Billboard Chris,” held a protest at the Doylestown Rainbow Room in 2023 to bring attention to the issue of children with gender dysphoria undergoing treatments and surgeries that forever alter their lives. Many European countries have now restricted those treatments. And in the U.S., some of those harmed by the gender reassignment treatments are speaking out.
Emily Cowan, a Bucks County mom, is concerned about the safety of kids going to the Rainbow Room.
“First of all, this is happening where I grew up, where my mom grew up. Where my children are now growing up. So, the fact that it’s close to home makes me feel obligated to fight against the agenda that is harming our children. I don’t think there should be a ‘Rainbow Room’ for anyone under the age of 18. The pride flags and gender ideology are swarming in our school districts already, and now they are encouraging it even more. They acknowledge these kids have mental health issues, but encouraging the ideology is only going to worsen mental health and raises more cause for concern.
“Also, who is paying for these programs and transportation? Is it the taxpayers? And then who is transporting them, and who is mentoring them?” she asked.
“If they know there are high rates of people in the LGBTQ+ community that have mental health issues, doesn’t that mean that most likely the people who are running it do as well? I’m sure they will have like-minded mentors, or that defeats the purpose,” said Cowan.
“I can’t believe parents are willingly sending their teenagers somewhere to talk about their sexuality with strangers. Or are they? How strict is the parental consent? We don’t know who these people are and what kind of background they have. When I checked out the website they have a ‘Chat/Text for Teens.’ They say trained educators, but who really is at the other end, and what are they really discussing? At the end of the day, all we parents want is to make sure our kids are safe, and that means mentally, too.”
Marlene Pray, the Rainbow Room director, did not respond to a request for comment.
Lower Makefield parent Tim Daly is also concerned.
“The foundational merit of what Marlene Pray is doing with The Rainbow Room to allow a place for kids with similar issues with LGBTQ is to be commended,” Daly said. “Where Pray veers off the railroad tracks is engage those of sexual consent age with those which are not, which brings into question as to where this is a group aiming to normalize pedophilia under the guise of a support group.”
Candace Cabanas, who ran for state representative, said, “My main concern is for the tax dollars spent. Does a Rainbow Room match the needs of the Lower Bucks community, and will providing free Uber rides there undermine the parents’ rights to know where their kids are going and who will be supervising them at these programs?”
