With the New Year upon us, we are in the most opportune place to look both backward and forward — to use the lessons of 2013 to build a game plan for LGBT equality in 2014. And the outlook from this vantage point is bright.
Last year we were showered with LGBT victories, both in Pennsylvania and across the nation.
Most notable was the momentous U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned a key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The trickle-down effect of that ruling was felt by the day — from federal agencies revising policies to New Jersey legalizing same-sex marriage to the SCOTUS ruling being mentioned in a number of new legal challenges to Pennsylvania’s ban on marriage equality.
Also in the Keystone State, legislation to ban conversion therapy for minors surfaced for the first time in the Senate and was reintroduced in the House. And the long-stalled effort to include sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected from discrimination saw new traction: The legislation was introduced in both chambers with record bipartisan support, and last month Republican Gov. Tom Corbett came out in support of the bill. Pennsylvania also saw its first full year with out Reps. Brian Sims (D-182nd Dist.) and Mike Fleck (R-81st Dist.) in office, and the Doylestown mayoral election was won by Ron Strouse, who will be the state’s first openly LGBT mayor. At the city level, Philadelphia adopted sweeping LGBT-reform legislation that offered first-in-the-nation tax credits for companies offering trans-specific health-care and domestic-partnership coverage.
Elsewhere in the country, the number of marriage-equality states more than doubled, and the federal Employment Nondiscrimination Act saw the most progress in years.
But 2013 wasn’t all rosy.
Locally, a trans woman was murdered and a number of LGBT-related homicides remained unsolved. A woman was raped in the Gayborhood and, days later, a gay man was attacked and robbed in almost the same spot. At least two transgender students in Pennsylvania were forced to take on their school administrations for discriminatory policies. Pennsylvania claimed the unenviable title as the only Northeast state without marriage equality, let alone an LGBT nondiscrimination measure. Nationwide, LGBT people continued to face harassment, discrimination and violence, and internationally, countries like Russia and Uganda ramped up their targeted efforts to silence the LGBT-rights movement.
So, what did we learn? Well, first, victory is absolutely possible. And once we attain one victory, other goals are more easily accomplished. And the more we put a public face on the LGBT community, the more mainstream support the LGBT-rights movement receives. Yet, no year will be all highs — lows are expected, but the LGBT community is resilient and, in 2013, fought back aggressively against each setback.
So here’s to hoping our 2013 wins propel us into 2014 with new energy, empowerment and excitement for what is sure to be another banner year for LGBT rights.