Nov 1, 2014 2 min read

As chairperson of the Washington County Gay Straight Alliance, Inc. (WCGSA), a nonprofit corporation, I am contacted for various reasons. I recently received a call from a young woman who recently moved from another state to Pennsylvania. She happens to be an out lesbian and feels she is being severely discriminated against in the workplace by her peers as well as management. She wanted to know if there were any laws in place in Washington County or Pennsylvania to protect her due to her sexual orientation.

I regretfully told her that, no, there were no protections in Washington County, and that there were only isolated laws on the books in Pennsylvania that applied to her situation. Current Pennsylvania law provides basic legal protections against discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, age, national origin, handicap or disability, education, and the use of a guide dog, but not sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

To understand this inequality better, you can now be married to your same-sex partner in Pennsylvania, put your wedding picture on your desk at work, and be fired for being gay with no recourse.

With Election Day coming up, those of us at the WCGSA want you to be aware of bills currently being considered in the Legislature that will update the commonwealth’s Human Relations Act by prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

If you feel that equality is important to you, keep in mind those running for seats in the state Senate or House of Representatives who are either co-sponsors of these bills or support this important step toward treating all Pennsylvanians with respect.

Also, it is very important to contact senators or representatives to show support for these measures.

Kathy Cameron

Washington