Pennsylvania formalizes discrimination protections for LGBTQ people
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Pennsylvania formalized nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people after a regulatory board approved new definitions of sex, race and religious creed in the commonwealth’s anti-discrimination regulations.
Gov. Tom Wolf praised the Thursday move as “another important step to ensure all Pennsylvanians can live with dignity and freedom.”
The new regulatory changes provide a more comprehensive definition of the terms “sex,” “religious creed” and “race” as protected classes so that victims of discrimination can better understand how they are protected by anti-discrimination laws.
The Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved the revisions with three members appointed by Democrats voting yes and two Republican-appointed members voting no.
“I have been clear — hate has no place in Pennsylvania,” the Democratic governor — who signed an executive order last year adding sexual orientation and gender identity or expression as protected classes under the commonwealth’s sexual harassment policies — said in a statement.
“This includes protecting the rights of individuals facing discrimination by a school, landlord or employer based on who they love or their gender identity,” he added.
The updated regulation codified already-existing guidance on the handling of discrimination complaints based on sex under the Pennsylvania Fair Educational Opportunities Act.
In August 2018, the Pennsylvania Humans Rights Commission issued guidelines on sex-based discrimination stating that when students, tenants or workers at most businesses in the state felt they were being discriminated against because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, they could file a complaint with the commission against their school, landlord or employer.
The regulation approved Thursday comes after nearly “a decade of stonewalling by Republicans in the state legislature,” according to the state’s House LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus.
“It’s 2022 and Pennsylvania still has no law on the books to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals, a situation which is completely unacceptable and, quite frankly, embarrassing,” Democratic state Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta and Jessica Benham said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
They noted that in terms of employment, education. and housing, “it’s currently legal in our commonwealth to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Pennsylvania is one of 21 states without a law banning discrimination against LGBTQ people. Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation protecting same-sex and interracial marriages.
With News Wire Services
