Pennsylvania Lesbian and Gay Task Force  (1978)

 

Press Advisory Immediate Release - December 4, 2002

 

Contact:
Rita Addessa, executive director
Discrimination and Violence Hotline:
215 772-2000 and 1-877-PRIDE-2000 toll free in Pennsylvania
plgtf@plgtf.org and web site www.plgtf.org

On the web:  Study of Discrimination and Violence and Pennsylvania Civil Rights Initiative

Pennsylvania Lesbian and Gay Task Force calls on the

Governor-Elect and Legislature to Lead in

Adopting Pennsylvania Civil Rights Initiative Now

_____________________________________________

 

In its closing session, the Pennsylvania Legislature has adopted and the Governor has signed amendments to the state’s ethnic intimidation statute to include the categories ancestry, disability, gender or gender identity, and sexual orientation. While this is an important advance, it remains legal in Pennsylvania at the statewide level to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. [See plgtf Initiative documents and especially the Comparison of USA Statutes at www.plgtf.org]

 

After the governor’s signature, Rita Addessa, executive director of the Pennsylvania Lesbian and Gay Task Force, noted “…on the one hand, it is important to acknowledge various groups’ long focus on this effort and to recognize the symbolic importance of naming various minority groups, inclusively, in relevant criminal statutes when specific categories are listed. On the other hand, it is critical to remember that hate crime statutes have no tangible impact in addressing the underlying causes of bias crime, or in reducing bias motivated crime, nor do such criminal statutes establish long-awaited basic civil rights for one million plus lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people…”

 

Addessa continued…. “(W)hile the legislature and various governors have contemplated this “law and order” amendment to increase penalties for criminals, it has through a process of conscious and malign neglect, refused to act on overwhelming evidence that clearly demonstrates high levels of discrimination and violence, and to introduce and adopt Pennsylvania Civil Rights Initiative proposals to amend the Human Relations Act to (1) extend basic civil rights to the LGBT community, (2) expand the Act to include the category “education” along with employment, housing, and public accommodations, (3) strengthen educational provisions, and (4) restore and strengthen now eviscerated enforcement mechanisms to provide meaningful remedies for victims of discrimination.  With the strong support of local, state, and national organizations joined by thousands of Pennsylvanians (www.plgtf.org), we are calling on the Governor-elect, and the legislature to move beyond crime and punishment models to effect meaningful civil rights and education rights for all people.  (continues)

 

[1] Pennsylvania is now one of five states to include the categories sexual orientation and gender identity, and one of 23 states to include the category sexual orientation (go to www.ngltf.org to download “issue maps” for greater detail). Go to www.plgtf.org for Pennsylvania Civil Rights Initiative documents and a one page grid summarizing various USA civil rights statutes.) ###