Demand Equality Within the Keystone State!
Amending the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act: HB 300
PA HB 300 has been rasing discussion all over the state. Infortunately those who wish to treat GLBTQ people as second class citizens are doing their best with scare tactices, exagerations and false claims to thwart progress on this bill. I want to post a set of talking pointsa about the boill to set the record “straight.”
Current Pennsylvania law provides basic legal protection against discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, age, national origin, handicap or disability, education and the use of a guide dog, but not sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.
Amending the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression would provide basic protection to ensure fairness for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pennsylvanians.
Many states have already amended their state civil rights laws to protect against this kind of discrimination.
Twenty states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia have laws protecting gay, lesbian, and bisexual people from discrimination. Thirteen states also prohibit discrimination against transgender people through legislation or case law. Almost 300 municipalities in the United States, including 14 in Pennsylvania, have civil rights protections based upon sexual orientation, gender identity, or both.
Many major businesses in Pennsylvania have employment policies prohibiting such discrimination.
More than 100 employers, including some of the largest corporations, in Pennsylvania have non-discrimination policies including sexual orientation and/or gender identity. 462 Fortune 500 companies, including all 27 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Pennsylvania, prohibit discrimination based upon sexual orientation. These companies recognize that attracting and retaining the best workers is critical, and that employers with a reputation for respecting diversity are at a competitive advantage with
these protections.
This change will make Pennsylvania competitive with our neighbors.
Our neighboring states of Maryland, New Jersey, and New York already have laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Pennsylvania has already taken steps in this direction.
In 1975, Pennsylvania Governor Milton Shapp issued the first state executive order banning discrimination in state employment on the basis of sexual orientation. This executive order has been reissued by each of Governor Shapp’s successors and now also includes gender identity or expression. The following Pennsylvania municipalities prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or both: Allentown; Easton; Erie County; Harrisburg; Lancaster; Lansdowne; New Hope; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Scranton; State College; Swarthmore; West Chester and York.
Yet, too many of our citizens are not covered by their employer’s policies or their municipality’s laws.
Discrimination based on actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, effectively denies qualified individuals equality and opportunity. The lack of
uniform policy across the state leads to confusion for employers and employees and protects only those Pennsylvanians who work in one of the municipalities that prohibits these types of discrimination. Based upon 2000 US Census Data, 79% of Pennsylvanians are not covered by a non-discrimination ordinance.
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) supports amending the PHRA to include protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
The PHRC enforces the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. The Act prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The PHRC opposes discriminatory acts against all individuals, including those who belong to classes not currently protected under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
Pennsylvania Headquartered Fortune 500 Companies with Non-Discrimination Policies including sexual orientation.
Air Products & Chem.
Alcoa
AmerisourceBergen
Aramark
Cigna
Comcast
Crown Holdings
Erie Insurance Group
H.J. Heinz
Hershey Foods
Ikon Office Solutions
Jones Apparel Group
Lincoln National
Mellon Financial Corp.
PNC Financial Services
PPG Industries
PPL
Rite Aid
Rohm & Haas
Sunoco
Toll Brothers
UGI
Unisys
United States Steel
Universal Health Svcs.
Wesco International
York International
Provided by the Value All Families Coalition
For more information, contact
Jake Kaskey at
jkaskey@equalitypa.org or
(215) 731-1447 ext. 14.
