Philadelphia City Council this week unanimously passed a bill that would add LGBT hate-crimes protections to city law.
The bill, sponsored by Councilmembers Jim Kenney and Blondell Reynolds-Brown, was backed by all Councilmembers at Thursday’s meeting. The bill will now be sent to Mayor Nutter for his expected signature.
The legislation, submitted in response to the September attack on a gay couple in Center City, would allow for up to 90 days in prison and/or up to $2,000 in fines for criminal conduct motivated by a victim’s sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. Those classes remain absent from the state hate-crimes law; they had been included in 2002 but were repealed several years later because of a technicality.
Legislation to re-introduce them to the state law passed out of committee earlier this month but has since stalled.
“Until the Commonwealth comes to its senses and treats these offenses as the hate crimes they are, Philadelphia City Council must do all it can to protect our citizens,” Kenney said.
“Philadelphia is known all over the world as a city that celebrates and values diversity and we will not allow a few thugs to tarnish that reputation,” Reynolds Brown added. “It is shameful that this legislation is necessary in 2014, but as Councilman Kenney and I have demonstrated in the past, we are proud to do it. We are not brought into this world with hate in our hearts; that is something learned along the way. This is a teaching moment not only for the bullies out there, but for the parents of bullies. We all have a responsibility to protect one another. My heart hurts for all people who are targeted because of who they are. No one has a right to diminish someone else’s shine, and our message today is, if you think it is appropriate to hurt someone with hate in your heart, there will be a price to pay.”