Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Doylestown, PA is considering an anti-discrimination ordinance, potentially becoming the 17th PA municipality to do so.

The next three Borough Council meetings – Monday, June 21, Monday, July 19, and Monday, August 16 – are watershed moments in Doylestown!

Your progressive voices on Council are promoting an ordinance to bar discrimination in our community. Meanwhile, reactionary voices are summoning their troops to fight this. Please contact your Council members to urge their support and come out to these meetings so your voices can be heard or just to show support. Simply stated, we need you!

If you want more information or have questions, contact the lead sponsor, Don Berk at don.berk@comcast.net or 215-340-9355.

The ordinance includes:
1. Assurance that all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry or place of birth, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, age or use of a guide or support animal because of blindness, deafness or physical disability enjoy the full benefits of citizenship and are afforded equal opportunities for: a. employment, b. housing, c. use of public accommodation.

2. We need it because while most of the above minorities have these rights, the LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Ally) community does not. We are about making Doylestown an inclusive community.

3. The Life Partner provisions are designed to provide a benefit to couples to whom the state denies a right to marry and to provide a formal status for benefits providers who required such status in order to provide domestic partner benefits. The goal is also to give them a choice to get public recognition of their relationship. Council will consider separating the Life Partner provisions from the non-discrimination protection, so each measure can be considered on its own merits.

Please reach out to Council members to let them know we expect their support on this issue. It wouldn’t hurt to even e-mail those solidly for it, thanking them for their support.

Thank you,
Don Berk

Councilperson, Borough of Doylestown
Lead Sponsor of Doylestown’s Anti-Discrimination Ordinance
President, Bucks County Boroughs Association

The legislation has drawn the typical support and opposition from those who espouse the 'though police' argument … it gets tiresome that people cannot distinguish between their thoughts and their actions. 

Doylestown is in Buck County, a Philly suburb.

You can find out more on how to support this effort on Facebook.