Submitted by Stephen A. Glassman, Chairperson of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) is on record as having passed a resolution unanimously supporting legislation (HB 1400 in the PA House of Representatives with 76 cosponsors and SB 761 in the PA State Senate with 22 cosponsors) which will add the protected classes of "sexual orientation and gender identity or expression" to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. Governor Rendell has consistently supported this legislation and has long advocated for full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in our state and federal civil rights laws.
The PHRC has jurisdiction over discrimination and bias complaints in employment, housing and commercial property, credit and lending, public accommodations, and education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Twenty-one states already have laws in place which offer statewide protections with regard to "Sexual Orientation" and fourteen states additionally include "Gender Identity or Expression" in their civil rights statutes. Pennsylvania is considerably overdue in its legal recognition of LGBT people at the statewide level in various pieces of legislation.
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission has worked with Equality Advocates PA to draught legislative language for 14 local jurisdictions in the state which have already passed their own non-discrimination ordinances and established local human relations commissions. These cities, counties, and boroughs now ensure protections against discrimination for LGBT people in addition to those who are already recognized by the State of Pennsylvania in the PA Human Relations Act.
The PHRC continues to work with communities and schools across the Commonwealth to eradicate discrimination and bias and to address civil tension, bullying, and harassment wherever it arises.
We are particularly concerned about allegations of discrimination and harassment in the Franklin School district and the Oil City School district in Venago County, and we have been closely monitoring incidents that have been reported to our agency for a number of years.
We would like the residents of Venango County to know that the PHRC is here to act on any complaints of discrimination and to resolve tension situations that arise in your community. Please contact us through our Pittsburgh Regional Office at 412 565 5395. Our Regional Director is George Simmons (412 565 7561), and our Supervisor of Education and Community Outreach is Robert Flipping (412 565 7560).
I offer my own strong support for your efforts to achieve full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender residents of Venango County. Please call on me for any assistance I might offer in our common struggle to advance the cause of Civil Rights for all Americans.
Stephen A. Glassman, Chairperson
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
Office of Governor Edward G. Rendell
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