LGBT-nondiscrimination protections in housing and employment were expected to reach the Senate floor for a vote this week, but were blocked and look likely to stall for the rest of the summer.
Equality Pennsylvania, a statewide LGBT organization, points the finger at state Sen. Lisa Baker, a Luzerne County Republican who chairs the Labor and Industry Committee.
“She’s trying to take a step backward,” said Levana Layendecker, deputy director of Equality Pennsylvania. “She’s basically telling [the Senate] to hold the legislation that already passed out of committee because she wants to hold her own hearing.”
The bill for housing protections made its way out of the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee earlier this month with an amendment to include employment protections.
The Labor and Industry Committee still has a separate bill pending for LGBT-nondiscrimination protections in employment, and the State Government Committee has a bill for public-accommodation protections.
State Sen. Mike Folmer, a Lebanon County Republican who chairs the State Government Committee, has not scheduled a committee vote on the public-accommodations bill. Layendecker said Equality Pennsylvania is not yet organizing large-scale action against Folmer because Baker’s efforts represent a more immediate roadblock to a full Senate vote on some LGBT protections.
“It’s frustrating, but we think we can overcome it,” Layendecker said. “We will keep pushing throughout the summer, absolutely. If the legislators don’t do this before they leave, we will be in their districts all summer long demanding this.”
Successful advocacy for the Pennsylvania Fairness Act in the House and the three separate bills for LGBT nondiscrimination in the Senate comes down to funding, in large part, said Ted Martin, executive director of Equality Pennsylvania.
“The way we stay here is we have to have staff and keep people in legislators’ offices,” he said.
Equality Pennsylvania was part of a coalition that shared financial and staffing resources called Pennsylvania Competes. Including the Human Rights Campaign, American Civil Liberties Union and American Unity Fund, the bipartisan nonprofit started in February 2015, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State, but ceased operations in June.
Equality Pennsylvania officials, who spearheaded the coalition, said it was only funded for a year, but ended up being extended in hopes that the nondiscrimination protections would pass before the end of the current legislative session.
Martin said Equality Pennsylvania had contributed close to a six-figure dollar amount to Pennsylvania Competes, and the other partners contributed more. He added it did not compare to the highly funded Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, which has lobbied hard against LGBT protections.
Full financial information for Pennsylvania Competes was not immediately available through the Pennsylvania Department of State, which maintains records for corporations and charitable organizations in the state.
Martin said a “significant amount of pressure” led to LGBT protections in housing and employment making it out of committee, representing the first Senate action on an LGBT measure since 2006.
In lieu of Pennsylvania Competes, Martin said Equality Pennsylvania would continue to look for other coalition partners and is currently working closely with Freedom for All Americans, a Washington, D.C.-based bipartisan campaign for LGBT nondiscrimination protections.
In a separate effort June 28 in Harrisburg, LGBT community leaders from across the state announced the formalization of the Pennsylvania LGBTQ Leadership Council. The group of more than 20 executive directors from regional LGBT organizations has been meeting since January and just made its mission official. The council will work as a long-term commitment to supporting education and advocacy efforts in state government.
Jason Landau Goodman, a core member of the group and founding executive director of the Pennsylvania Youth Congress, said it was important to have local LGBT leaders at the forefront of the push for nondiscrimination legislation. He noted state and national entities can lack stories of personal impact.
“We want to make sure the General Assembly and governor know that local LGBT communities across the commonwealth have power,” Landau Goodman said.
He added the leadership council would help local organizations execute regional strategic plans and amplify their experiences to state legislators.