This is from an email I received today from Equality PA:

Last week, when Rep. Brian Sims and Rep. Dan Frankel filed a petition to break the PA Fairness Act free from the committee chair who has been blocking it for over a year, the chair of that committee said “he does not support the legislation of the bill sitting on his desk because he believes the bill’s language would violate the religious liberties of Pennsylvanians, as well as open the door for women and young girls to be victimized by transgender females who would be allowed to use women’s restrooms.” – Harrisburg Patriot News, June 14

That committee chair is Darryl Metcalfe, and he represents everything that is wrong with the leadership in Harrisburg.

The language of the bill states that LGBTQ persons may not be discriminated against in housing, employment and public accommodations. It really is that simple. The legislation is about fairness, yet Metcalfe refuses to let the bill move forward in his effort to protect the right to discriminate.

Most noxious about the quote above, is the fallacious insinuation that trans women pose a threat to children. Many Catholic priests are a danger to children!

Protections like this legislation offer are in force in many locales all across the country from whole states down to small towns, and there has never been a single case of a child being put in danger in any way.

The majority of Pennsylvanians –over 70%– agree that it’s time to make sure that LGBT people are protected from discrimination. The majority of Pennsylvanians understand that treating someone as you would want to be treated when it comes to hiring an employee, securing a tenant, or serving someone at a place of business is not a threat to religious liberty or personal safety.

Those false and hurtful attacks on this legislation and our community will not work if we can show that we are the majority – and that protecting all people from discrimination no matter who they are or who they love is the right thing to do.