Human Rights Campaign this week released its first-ever State Equality Index, detailing the LGBT-inclusiveness, or lack thereof, of state laws across the country.
While Pennsylvania now has marriage equality, there are numerous areas where LGBT rights remain unprotected, according to the report.
The state received high marks for its adoption laws, but it continues to lack nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, adoption, foster care, insurance, credit and jury selection. Pennsylvania does, however, ban LGBT discrimination against state employees. The hate-crimes law does not have LGBT protections, nor does the state require the reporting of anti-LGBT crimes.
Pennsylvania has a cyberbullying law but lacks an anti-bullying law with enumerated categories, an enumerated model policy and requirements for alternative discipline. The state also does not have LGBT-inclusive juvenile-justice or sexual-education policies or laws mandating transgender inclusion in sports, addressing LGBT youth homelessness or protecting youth from conversion therapy.
The state does not have LGBT nondiscrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act Exchanges, trans-inclusive health benefits for state employees or a ban on insurance exclusions for transgender health care. Gender markers can be changed on driver’s licenses but birth certificates are more challenging.
The number of pro-LGBT laws peaked in 2012; 24 “good” bill were submitted that year, up from 20 the previous year. Twenty “good” bills were also submitted in 2013, but dropped to just five in 2014. There were two “bad” bills introduced last year, down from five the previous two years.
In total, Pennsylvania now has 13 laws protecting LGBT rights. To view the full report, visit http://hrc-assets.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com//files/assets/resources/Pennsylvania-SEI-2014.pdf.