LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Legislation Re-introduced for the 7th Time in 14 years
LINK TO THIS RELEASE: http://bit.ly/2rrxp9Q
Harrisburg – Today, Rep. Dan Frankel (D) introduced the PA Fairness Act (HR-1410). The Senate bill, SB-613, was introduced by Senators Pat Browne (R) and Larry Farnese (D).
Ted Martin, Executive Director, Equality Pennsylvania, pointed out, "While we are very grateful to champions like Rep. Frankel, Sen. Browne, and Sen. Farnese, this will be the seventh time that nondiscrimination legislation has been introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature in fourteen years, or seven consecutive legislative sessions. How much longer do LGBTQ Pennsylvanians have to wait for simple and basic fairness? This delay is intolerable and easily remedied with long overdue legislative action."
Polling shows that an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvania voters support protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination. And, in 2016 and 2017 so far, seven municipalities have passed local nondiscrimination ordinances. The 43rd ordinance in Pennsylvania passed last week in Camp Hill.
In the last legislative session small and large businesses, faith leaders, and allies of the LGBTQ community contacted their legislators to show support for the legislation.
"LGBTQ people and their allies will continue to demonstrate the overwhelming support that is out there for passing this legislation. We hope that this is the year that the legislature finally supports LGBTQ Pennsylvanians who deserve the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families free from discrimination," Martin concluded.
Equality Pennsylvania thanks the co-sponsors of PA Fairness Act in 2017:
HOUSE CO-SPONSOR LIST: (73)
Dan Frankel D-23
Brian Sims D-182
Ryan A. Bizzarro D-3
Kevin J. Boyle D-172
Matthew D. Bradford D-70
Tim Briggs D-149
Vanessa Lowery Brown D-190
Donna Bullock D-195
Thomas Caltagirone R. D-127
Mike Carroll D-118
Morgan Cephas D-192
Carolyn T. Comitta D-156
Scott Conklin D-77
Dom Costa D-21
Paul Costa D-34
Angel Cruz D-180
Mary Jo Daley D-148
Margo L. Davidson D-164
Tina M. Davis D-141
Jason Dawkins D-179
Madeleine Dean D-153
Daniel J. Deasy D-27
Pamela A. DeLissio D-194
Frank Dermody D-33
Maria P. Donatucci D-185
Michael J. Driscoll D-173
Florindo J. Fabrizio D-2
Isabella V. Fitzgerald D-203
Marty Flynn D-113
Robert Freeman D-136
Ed Gainey D-24
John T. Galloway D-140
Marc J. Gergely D-35
Neal P. Goodman D-123
Patrick J. Harkins D-1
Kate Harper R-61
Jordan A. Harris D-186
Carol Hill-Evans D-95
Aaron D. Kaufer R-120
Sid Michaels Kavulich D-114
William F. Keller D-184
Patty Kim D-103
Stephen Kinsey D-201
Brian Kirkland D-159
Leanne Krueger-Braneky D-161
Maureen Madden D-115
Joseph F. Markosek D-25
Robert F. Matzie D-16
Stephen McCarter D-154
Joanna E. McClinton D-191
Daniel T. McNeill D-133
Dan L. Miller D-42
Gerald J. Mullery D-119
Thomas P. Murt R-152
Michael H. O’Brien D-175
Eddie Day Pashinski D-121
Christopher M. Rabb D-200
Adam Ravenstahl D-20
Harry Readshaw D-36
James R. Roebuck D-188
Mark Rozzi D-126
Steve Samuelson D-135
Michael H. Schlossberg D-132
Peter Schweyer D-22
Jared G. Solomon D-202
Michael Sturla D-96
John Taylor R-177
Curtis Thomas D-181
Greg Vitali D-166
Perry Warren S. D-31
Katharine M. Watson R-144
Jake Wheatley D-19
Rosita C. Youngblood D-198
SENATE CO-SPONSOR LIST: (16)
Pat Browne R-16
Larry Farnese D-1
Scott Wagner R-28
Charles McIlhinney R-10
Jay Costa D-43
Vincent Hughes D-7
James Brewster D-45
Anthony Williams D-8
Daylin Leach D-17
Lisa Boscola D-18
John Sabatina D-15
John Yudichak D-14
Art Haywood D-4
John P. Blake D-22
Sharif Street D-3
Wayne D. Fontana D-42
History of support for nondiscrimination from the last legislative session:
- The most recent Susquehanna Research Poll found that 74% of Pennsylvanians support updating the law.
- More than 400 small businesses signed on to support the campaign to end discrimination against gay and transgender people.
- Currently, 89 percent of Fortune 500 companies have sexual orientation non-discrimination policies; while 66 percent have gender identity non-discrimination policies.
- The bishops of three Christian denominations in Pennsylvania have released public letters asking the state to update the discrimination laws to include gender identity and expression and sexual orientation.
o Letter from the Episcopal Bishops of PA
o Letter from Methodist Bishops of PA
o Letter from Lutheran Bishops of PA
- More than 700 clergy and more than 1000 lay faith leaders are part our statewide network and more than 31 denominations have signed on to a moral statement in support of nondiscrimination.
- The Board of the PA Council of Churches voted in June of 2015 to send a statement to legislators asking them to protect LGBT people from discrimination in Pennsylvania.
- The AFL- CIO released a public statement in support of protecting gay and transgender people from discrimination.
- The Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce all support updating the law to protect gay and transgender people.
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With 60,000 members across the commonwealth, Equality Pennsylvania is the leading organization advancing equality and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Pennsylvanians.