The Equality Federation recently released a study that cites the importance of local-level policy change on larger-scale LGBT progress, using one local LGBT organization as an example. “Building Momentum for Change: How Local and Incremental Policy Campaigns Contribute to Statewide Victories,” funded by The Gill Foundation, included interviews with a number of LGBT-equality organizations, including Equality Pennsylvania. The report found that, in addition to securing protections for LGBT people, local policies and campaigns helped provide opportunities to engage in productive public education, establish facts that facilitate creating a case for more legislation, create political momentum for LGBT issues and build the capacity and skills of LGBT organizations. Equality PA executive director Ted Martin said the study has the ability to encourage others to get active in their local governments. “It shows how things can be done. It shows people that there is a lot of opportunity and that there are people that are local who will help,” Martin said. The report looked at an array of policies, including nondiscrimination legislation and antibullying measures. In the past few years, Equality PA has assisted dozens of municipalities in adopting their own LGBT nondiscrimination measures, as a statewide nondiscrimination bill remains stalled in the legislature. In the report, Martin said that such local policy victories could help create energy for statewide policies. “At a time when our legislature is pretty tough, the local work has provided us with a chance to create and demonstrate momentum,” he said. Pennsylvania currently has 33 municipal ordinances protecting the LGBT community from discrimination. “Thirty-three ordinances are covered and the world has not come to an end,” Martin said. “It is really something that encourages people to move forward. It shows it’s not a bad thing.” Having open conversations about discrimination and other issues with local lawmakers is essential to enhancing public understanding of both the LGBT community and the issues it faces, Martin said. “Things happen because people have a different understanding. If legislators can honestly say they don’t understand LGBT issues because they’ve never been exposed to an LGBT individual, there is an element of truth to that,” he said. The report noted that, while not all local-level lawmakers back pro-LGBT causes, bringing up such measures creates a voting record that lawmakers with an eye on state-level positions must keep in mind. Martin added that mobilizing local communities for LGBT policies can also motivate pro-LGBT candidates to pursue public office to keep the ball rolling. “One ‘unintended consequence’ of our local ordinance work that I love, but perhaps many legislators don’t love as much, is that this has helped develop a field team of potential legislators out there, people who think, ‘Maybe I should step up and run,’ and that makes current legislators nervous. It has definitely caused people to want to ‘fly up’ to the legislature.” Martin said he hopes the study communicates that local policy work has the potential to lay the foundation for LGBT progress in Pennsylvania and other states. “It shows people out there that they can do this — that the average person can help start and have success with passing legislation and changing laws. Working with us and together can help things get accomplished.” For more information on the report, visit http://equalityfederation.org/sites/default/files/Building_Momentum_for_Change_Final.pdf .
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