PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A group of Pennsylvania Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced an anti-discrimination bill into the house, which would provide protections for the LGBTQ community under state law.
The Fairness Act, or H.B. 300, was introduced in the Pennsylvania State House Friday, which was National Day of Silence, a day of observance meant to bring awareness to the issues that LGBTQ youth face.
This comes almost three years after the landmark decision of Bostock v. Clayton County, where the Supreme Court ruled that an employer cannot discriminate against an individual because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
However, the ruling does not prevent people in Pennsylvania who identify as LGBTQ from being denied housing, education or access to public accommodations.
“Lack of a comprehensive anti-discrimination law in Pennsylvania is a deterrent for workers and businesses who could help grow our economy, and its passage is long overdue. Discrimination in any form degrades us all. We can and must do better,” said Philadelphia Democratic State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta.
Kenyatta says that’s why he’s working alongside democratic representatives like Jessica Benham, Dan Frankel and Latasha D. Mayes, who serve in Allegheny County, as well as Ismail Smith-Wade-El (D-Lancaster) and Greg Scott (D-Montgomery), to prohibit discrimination in the state based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.
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“Across the country, we are seeing full-throated attacks against the LGBTQ community and our allies,” Kenyatta said.
According to the Trevor Project, 36% of LGBTQ youth reported they’ve been physically threatened or harmed due to either their sexual orientation or gender identity – 73% experienced discrimination.
“The Fairness Act is about finishing the job of making sure every Pennsylvanian is protected, because right now, under state law, a lot of other groups are covered, but the LGBTQ community is not. And this has been a fight for decades to try to get this done.”
He noted that Pennsylvania is the only state in the region without statewide protections for the community.
“The last time we got out of committee was in 2009, and so we have a chance to not only get it out of committee but to get it out of the house and over to the Senate for their consideration.”
Kenyatta says he thinks Pennsylvania can be in a position to push things in the right direction.
“Where we actually say we're going to have statutory protections for every single person, no matter their race, no matter their disability, no matter their sexual orientation.