Pennsylvania Grandfather Fined $16K After Protesting Anti-Trans Legislation

A 72-year-old grandfather from Pennsylvania took part in a peaceful pro-trans rights protest downtown and walked away with a fine—but no regrets. James “Angry Gay Grandpa” Lantz didn’t act on impulse. In the 18 months leading up to his protest, Lancaster County lost at least five trans youth to suicide. These were kids whose identities had been targeted by legislation similar to Senator Aument’s.

Lantz decided to take action, and the result was monumental. He was hit with a huge fine, but became a symbol of hope for LGBTQIA+ folks living in his small Pennsylvania community. Here is a look at how it all went down. 

James Lantz has no regrets when it comes to protesting.

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James “Angry Gay Grandpa” Lantz didn’t flinch when a judge hit him with nearly $16,800 in fines and damages for his bold pro-trans rights stunt at the Pennsylvania Senate, The Advocate reports. He is 64 and currently battling stage four cancer. During the protest, Lantz glued his hand to a railing and threw flyers to call attention to a wave of anti-trans bills.

In April 2024, Lantz targeted Republican Senator Ryan Aument, who introduced legislation banning trans girls from girls’ school sports, along with other measures that activists say increase despair among trans youth. During a live session, Lantz stood up in the gallery and called out the rising suicide rates in Lancaster County. He then glued himself to the fourth-floor railing and refused to move until lawmakers agreed to speak with him.

What followed was a criminal-mischief conviction. The court slapped him with a $200 fine and added $16,575 in repair costs for carpet replacement, wood-trim fixes, and industrial glue removal. That brought his total penalty to roughly $16,775. Lantz calls the penalty absurd and says those damages inflate the cost of dissent in a statehouse already cracking down on peaceful protest.“

“They chose to ignore five trans youth. But they didn’t choose to ignore the chair and glue I spilled on it,” Lantz told The Advocate. “I remember what I endured as a closeted teen in the 1970s. I don’t want to see another LGBTQ kid die by suicide. Our kids are suffering — physically, mentally, and emotionally. And I did what I felt I had to do.”

Yes, the angry grandpa would protest again — without hesitation. 

Lantz has made it clear that he will continue fighting for trans rights. With his own clock ticking from terminal cancer, the “angry grandpa” knows his advocacy is important. Lantz grew up in a small town in Virginia and was forced to remain closeted for much of his life. Now, as he battles terminal cancer, Lantz is dedicated to making sure LGBTQIA+ teens feel seen. 

“These five trans and nonbinary youth suicides, my cancer, and my absolute dedication to not having kids die by suicide were a combination that made me do things I would never have done in a previous life,” he told The Advocate. “But this just pushed me over the edge, and I was proud to do it. And I’ll be damned if I wouldn’t do it again.”

What do you think about James Lantz’s protest and the fine he received? Was the punishment fair or excessive?

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