So, I went to the hearing held in Erie today about Pennsylvania House Bill 1400, which would amend the Human Relations Commission (HRC) to be able to include sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. It was a pretty good turnout, and most of the folks there were solidly in favor of enacting the law.
Steve Glassman, the current Chair of the PA HRC, spoke quite eloquently and had lots of good information. Rep. Babette Josephs arranged to let Kathy speak for her son CJ, who had been targeted for violence in school. It was deeply moving and she did a great job. I think it is pretty hard not to listen when a mother speaks up for her child.
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I was up next. I hope that I didn't speak too fast. I tried to point out that we had a weird situation now such that when folks have called in to complain about discrimination, I have to ask them where they are from. It's ridiculous that people in Erie County are protected under the law, but people in adjoining counties are not. I am hoping I wasn't too rambling or odd. I was making a conscious effort to try to not speak too fast.
Doris Cipolla followed me and gave a very moving testimony. She had been with her late partner for 35 years. It was a nice complement to CJ, who is a youth.
After Doris was Diane Gramley, head of the American Family Association of PA. Diane did her usual slamming gays thing and gave some odd statistics that did not appear to be factual.
At one point, she said something about that there had never been a scientific study indicating that sexual orientation had a genetic/biological basis. Here's where it gets odd: One of the first studies done on that very topic was by Dean Hamer, noted genetic researcher. Check out A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation.Science 1993; 261:320-326. Dean is an openly gay man, whose partner is Joe Wilson, whose documentary, We Belong, was part of the GLBT screening that I went to at the Lake Erie Film Fest, and which included Kathy and her son CJ, noted above.
As it happens Joe is continuing work on an expanded documentary, and was filming the hearing. Guess who was running the camera when Diane made the statement about no studies having been done showing a genetic basis? Dean Hamer! I.e. not only had it happened, but the very person who had first done it was across the room filming her! Talk about irony.
Diane met with some resistance from Rep. Blackwell, who was very insightful about drawing parallels between his own experience as a black man and what GLBT people faced. At one point, he said something about being married to a pretty woman, which I wasn't certain wasn't a slightly sneaky comment about Diane's appearance. I freely admit that I am probably the most aesthetically challenged gay male in the tri-state error. I have no fashion sense and can't decorate or be fabulous if my life depended on it. But even I get that Diane is hardly a fashion plate (and yes, I know I am HARDLY one to speak on this topic.) A bit later, she noted that it was obvious that Rep. Blackwell was black and that she was obviously a woman. In my mind's eye, I pictured myself taking a drag off an imaginary cigarette and replying, "Oh. I don't think that I would bet the rent on that one, dearie."
One audience member wanted to ask Diane a question. Rep Babette Josephs, to her credit, pointed out that this was a hearing, not a debate, and that no other participants had been questioned, so it would be unfair to change the rules. That seemed fair for that proceeding. Any of us are free to comment on what we experienced afterwards, but the legislators needed to keep the actual event civil and fair.
Maureen Koseff, NW PA Representative of Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) spoke next, followed by Dave Martin, who has been very active in political advocacy and who lives in a very rural area of Venango County. Susan Woodland of the Northwest PA Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) finished up, and was also very well spoken.
Some folks engaged Diane in discussion afterward that sounded very civil and reasoned. Steve Glassman was countering some of her points very calmly. Myself, I try to avoid the obviously obstinate and unpleasant. More power to Steve for being so calm and mild, but I would not have been able to take it. I don't really fear the Dianes of the world. Given her history, I think that she probably ends up helping out our side most of the time because of what she chooses to focus on and how she presents it/herself. I told Rep. Babette Josephs about the time that Diane had her knickers in a twist about the Barrow Theatre showing the musical La Cage Aux Folles, which is hardly edgy.
Afterwards, about 10 of us ended up at Rum Runners, where we had a very nice dinner indeed and hung out. At one point, we saw what looked like a white ferret walk along the edge of the waterfront near the restaurant. The server said that it was in fact an albino mink. How positively surreal.
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