Success! Allegheny County Passes Inclusive Anti-Discrimination Ordinance!‏

Despite the vicious protestations of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania, an extremist group based in Venango County, the Allegheny County Council voted last Wednesday night to approve the Allegheny County Human Relations Ordinance, legislation that will ban discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, with a limited religious exemption.


Although similar protections have been in place in the City of Pittsburgh for over 20 years, this week’s ordinance marks the first time that these protections will be extended throughout the entire county.

The bill, which passed by an 8-6 vote, established a county-wide Human Relations Commission that will be responsible for investigating claims of discrimination.

“By passing the Human Relations Ordinance, the Allegheny County Council has made fairness a priority. The county will now be a better place to live and work for all residents, LGBT and straight alike,” Lynn Zeitlin, Executive Director of Equality Advocates Pennsylvania said Thursday.

The Coalition for the Allegheny County Human Relations Ordinance worked with Council members and County Executive Dan Onorato this week to modify the bill after a previous amendment was found to include an unreasonably broad loophole that would allow religious groups to discriminate against any job applicant on the basis of race, gender, disability and several other classifications, including sexual orientation and gender identity. The final amended language, which was endorsed by several LGBT rights groups across the state, includes a much narrower religious exemption.

LGBT rights organizations from across the state also praised the Ordinance for its inclusive protection of transgender individuals. The Coalition for the Allegheny County Human Relations Ordinance called the new legislation “the highest standard of trans-inclusive language in the Commonwealth.”

Next on the agenda for many Pennsylvania groups is working toward the passage of House Bill 300, a bill that would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to prohibit discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in employment, public accommodations and housing statewide.

“We commend the Allegheny County Council for adopting this important ordinance,” Zeitlin said. “The county is now the fifteenth municipality in the state to grant such protection to LGBT individuals, and we are pleased that the two largest counties in Pennsylvania now provide inclusive coverage. We will continue to work throughout the state until all Pennsylvanians are treated as fairly as citizens of Allegheny County now will be.”

Click here to learn how you can help Equality Advocates campaign for HB300!