The Pennsylvania Family Institute, a conservative faith-based group, is mobilizing people to resist proposed guidance by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission that would expand antibias protections for the LGBT community.
Pennsylvania doesn’t have a statewide LGBT-inclusive antibias law. But PHRC’s proposed guidance would allow the agency to investigate claims of LGBT antibias as sex discrimination.
The guidance notes that Pennsylvania’s statewide antibias law covers sex discrimination, and multiple courts have ruled that anti-LGBT discrimination is a form of sex discrimination.
PHRC investigates antibias complaints in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, commercial property and education.
PHRC is accepting public comments about its proposed guidance through May 26. The proposed guidance is at www.phrc.pa.gov; email comments about the measure to Christina Reese at [email protected].
On its website, PFI claims the guidance, if enacted, would allow “males” into female restrooms, female showers, female dorms, female camp cabins and battered-women shelters. The PFI website also claims “Christian schools would no longer be able to solely hire teachers and staff members that adhere to and live by Christian teachings on human sexuality.”
The PFI website adds: “This proposed action is a blatant attempt to take power and authority from the people and our elected representatives, and it puts
our freedom and personal privacy in danger.”
The PFI website provides a sample form letter for people to email to PHRC. The form letter states: “We all want a more civil and fair Pennsylvania. But the proposed LGBTQ guidance threatens many good people in a way that undermines tolerance and diversity. Adding ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’
into the non-discrimination law of other jurisdictions has resulted in opening private facilities like locker rooms and showers and has also punished good people merely because of their convictions on marriage. Pennsylvania deserves better. This isn’t the way to promote tolerance. I ask you to reject the proposed guidance.”
PFI’s Facebook page also urges people to challenge PHRC’s proposed guidance.
Randall L. Wenger, PFI’s chief counsel, couldn’t be reached for comment.
Civil-rights attorney Justin F. Robinette blasted PFI’s efforts.
“This hateful backlash is all the more reason to expand protection of the state’s anti-discrimination laws to protect LGBT people,” Robinette told PGN.
“PHRC should reject such obvious prejudice — disguised as discrimination against people’s religious beliefs, instead of discrimination against LGBT people,” Robinette added. “I urge PHRC to recognize such bigotry for what it is and state clearly: ‘You don’t get to discriminate based on your religion against LGBT people in this Commonwealth.”