HB 300 is sponsored by Representative Kenyatta, passed the House on May 2nd.  The bill is currently in the Senate State Government Committee.

This legislation will prohibit discrimination in our state based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.

In the landmark 2020 decision Bostock v. Clayton County, the United States Supreme Court ruled that an employer cannot discriminate against an individual because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. While this decision was an historic victory for civil rights, it does not prevent someone in our state who identifies as LGBTQ+ from being denied housing, education, or access to public accommodations simply because of who they are or who they love.

SB 150, sponsored by Senators Santarsiero and Saval, is currently in the Senate Labor & Industry Committee.

This legislation will prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. No Pennsylvanian should be fired from a job, or denied housing, or excluded from public spaces because of who they are.

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act prohibits discrimination in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations based on an individual’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, education status, handicap, or disability.  The Act does not cover sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, however.  As a consequence, members of Pennsylvanian’s LGBTQ community still face discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.  It is well past time for the General Assembly to act to address this injustice.