Kendall Stephens, a 37-year-old LGBTQ activist in Philadelphia, was arrested on Monday on charges involving the sexual assault of two minors.
Stephens, a biological male who identifies as a woman, faces serious allegations, including rape and involuntary deviant sexual intercourse with individuals under 13 years old. The preliminary arraignment, as reported by CBS Philadelphia, also included charges of corruption and endangering the welfare of children.
The specifics of Stephens’ alleged offenses remain under wraps as the investigation progresses. The court set bail at $250,000, with the next hearing scheduled for December 29.
Stephens, known for his advocacy within the LGBTQ community, was previously a victim of a hate crime in 2020. The attacker then, Tymesha Wearing, was convicted of aggravated assault, conspiracy, and hate crimes. Following this incident, Stephens called for expanded hate crime legislation in Pennsylvania to include LGBTQ individuals as a protected class.
Larry Krasner, Philadelphia’s District Attorney, recognized Stephens for advocacy efforts on behalf of queer victims of violent crime. Additionally, Stephens was featured in a 2022 campaign event for Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, endorsing his gubernatorial race against Republican Doug Mastriano.
Stephens lauded Shapiro’s record on LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive rights, characterizing him as a fighter for vulnerable Pennsylvanians.
“There needs to be a call to action to our newly Democratically controlled State House of Representatives to push hate crime laws to include LGBTQ-identified individuals as a protected class in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Stephens said. “My trans siblings who met an untimely demise due to anti-trans violence are crying out from the grave and they deserve justice.”
Krasner, in turn, has praised Stephens for advocating for the “queer victims of violent crime,” adding that Stephens “continues to speak out loudly on behalf of other queer victims of violent crime — all while pursuing graduate studies.”
