PA House LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus applauds move to adopt nondiscrimination protections
Supports tomorrow’s vote by Human Relations Commission
LGBTQ Equality Caucus December 7, 2022 | 2:22 PM
HARRISBURG, Dec. 7 – After nearly a decade of stonewalling by Republicans in the state legislature, the PA House LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus co-chairs state Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Phila., and Jessica Benham, D-Allegheny, today offered their full support for a move by Gov. Tom Wolf and the PA Human Relations Commission ahead of a PHRC vote tomorrow that could solidify nondiscrimination protections in the state:
“It’s 2022 and Pennsylvania still has no law on the books to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals, a situation which is completely unacceptable and, quite frankly, embarrassing.
“In the realms of employment, education, and housing, it’s currently legal in our commonwealth to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. While our caucus fought tooth-and-nail for more comprehensive anti-discrimination laws, like the PA Fairness Act, in previous legislative sessions, the Republican majority at the time did everything they could to obstruct and prevent progress.
“That is why we are offering our full support to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission to secure these basic, long overdue protections for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians; something that the General Assembly failed to do for decades under a Republican majority. Additionally, we look forward to re-introducing the PA Fairness Act to enshrine these protections into our state law.”
The PHRC is scheduled tomorrow to vote on Regulation #52-13, which would create a new subchapter to define the terms “sex,” “race” and “religious creed.”