The measure to ban discrimination against LGBT Pennsylvanians at the statewide level came before a panel of state legislators this week.
The House Democratic Policy Committee heard testimony Sept. 19 from several supporters of House Bill 300.
The long-stalled measure would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s Human Relations Act, extending discrimination protections in housing, employment and public accommodations to the LGBT community.
The committee hosts public hearings across the state to examine the local impact of certain pieces of legislation and to build awareness and understanding of legislation, spearheaded by members of the House Democratic Caucus.
More than a quarter of the committee’s nearly 80 members attended.
HB 300 was resubmitted earlier this year by state Rep. Dan Frankel (D-23rd Dist.), and it is currently in the State Government Committee.
A call to Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-12th Dist.), chair of the State Government Committee, was unreturned by press time. Neither a hearing nor a vote in that committee had been scheduled for the bill.
Voicing support for the bill were Equality Pennsylvania executive director Ted Martin, Springfield Township Board of Commissioners president Jeffrey Harbison, Independence Business Alliance president Evan Urbania and National Association of Social Workers executive director Jenna Mehnert.
In addition to the in-person testimony, statements were also entered into the record from the Anti-Defamation League’s local chapter, the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition, the Persad Center, Philadelphia Bar Association, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Pennsylvania NOW Inc., Liberty City Democratic Club, Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania — all of which were in support of the measure.
In Martin’s testimony, he described how the Pennsylvania legislature has fallen behind myriad other states that have adopted such legislation, highlighting a recent Equality PA poll that found vast support for HB 300 among Pennsylvanians.
Martin noted that the event was integral in educating lawmakers.
“I travel all over Pennsylvania and talk to people about these issues and many people are often astounded and refuse to believe that this type of discrimination is permitted — they think it’s covered. And it’s important that we made that point also to the legislators,” he said. “We have to show them no, this is not covered, and here’s what happens because it’s not. That astounds people and offends people and that’s good. So it was good to really drive home that this law doesn’t exist and why it should and that they need to move this along.”
Urbania noted that the response from the legislators was encouraging.
“I think the hearing will keep momentum on this issue front and center,” he said. “The panel was really well-represented, and they had a lot of great questions, and we talked about some issues that I don’t think some of them had ever considered before. I’m not sure I believe we’re going to move far enough this cycle to get it approved, but the discussion has to continue and there was a lot of interest from the membership on the committee, which shows they’re taking this seriously.”
Urbania focused his testimony on the benefits HB 300 could have for the state’s economy, citing the challenges Pennsylvania faces in attracting and retaining the best and most talented employees, with many of its neighboring states offering more inclusive employment policies.
Mehnert detailed how the state’s lack of nondiscrimination protections for LGBTs has a trickle-down effect, fueling a “culture that fosters hate and leads to hostile climates” in schools and elsewhere, as the state is sending “the very clear message that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is OK.”
In his remarks, Harbison detailed the yearlong effort that led up to last week’s approval of an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination policy in Springfield, the 22nd Pennsylvania municipality to ban LGBT discrimination in light of the lack of a statewide law.
Harbison said reaction among residents was mixed, but that the vast majority of opponents weren’t against the concept of the bill but rather the local government’s involvement in what they say should be a state issue — a sentiment Harbison said was shared by the two lone dissenters on the commission.
“Just as history has looked unkindly on those who opposed the rights of women and people of color, the march of time will not smile on those who fail to protect our LGBT friends,” Harbison testified. “We were elected to make the world better and fairer. In five, 10, 15 years people will not be able to fathom how anybody was opposed to LGBT issues. Why are we not in front on this issue? Springfield has met this challenge. I ask you today to do the same.”
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].
