PITTSTON, PA – Tonight the Pittston City Council unanimously adopted a non-discrimination ordinance inclusive of protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition (PSEC) congratulates the Pittston community and the local organizers who led the efforts for the ordinance’s adoption.

Pittston has become the 31st municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance. The small city of about 8,000 is the first in Luzerne County and second in northeastern Pennsylvania to adopt this type of local law. Over two dozen community supporters of the ordinance attended the final vote this evening. Advocates present included members of the Rainbow Alliance board, including Board President Beth Hartman, and PSEC’s Executive Director Jason Landau Goodman.

Without an inclusive statewide non-discrimination law, Pennsylvanians who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT), or those perceived as LGBT, can be legally discriminated against. Countless LGBT Pennsylvanians have been fired, evicted from their home, or denied a public accommodation on this basis.

Pittston’s State Representative, Rep. Mike Carroll, is a co-sponsor of HB300 – the state’s leading non-discrimination legislation.

PSEC supports the adoption of local non-discrimination ordinances in order to protect all citizens from discrimination. Currently 32% of Pennsylvania’s population (4.1 million residents) lives in the 31 municipalities with inclusive nondiscrimination laws.

For further information on local non-discrimination ordinances in Pennsylvania, PSEC encourages reporters to visit the website of the Suburban and Rural Alliance of Pennsylvania (SARA of PA) at http://sarapennsylvania.org.