Hmm ... I missed this yesterday in the Post-Gazette.

HARRISBURG -- Although his years-long crusade to enact a statewide ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity again died at the end of the most recent legislative session, state Rep. Dan Frankel sees reason for optimism.

Frankel's optimism stems from the long-term view (useful in politics, eh) that our cultural view toward LGBTQ people, families and issues has shifted.  Not IS. Not WILL.  It has shifted and the polling data shows that.  See my little riend's pronouncement that Ledcat and I cannot marry "stupid"   She'll be voting in four Presidential cycles.  That my friends is the long-term view.

The piece goes on to explore how state level inaction has generated much hubbub at the local level.  18 locals.  It has also fed into the hatefest such as in Lancaster which disbanded the Human Relations Commission to save money.  Really?  I'm sure the African-American residents feel real good that their experiences with housing discrimination got axed to save money.  Nice.

I can't resist posting this quote.

"It creates a policy, a public policy, and it puts those who disagree with that policy in the same footing as those who are, say, racial bigots," said Randall Wenger, lawyer for the Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Family Institute, which lobbied against Mr. Frankel's bill.

"We call certain choices discrimination because we, collectively, as a people, determine that certain choices are downright bad, they're downright evil," Mr. Wenger said. "I think recently, with the additional of sexual orientation and gender identity, they are choices people make precisely because they are the moral choices they want to make."

Umm. I think there was a time when "certain choices" like owning people was Biblically sanctioned, not evil.  What would Mr. Wenger have argued if that point were brought up?  Is it the "calling" of choices discrimination that make them evil because that sounds a lot like moral relativism, not so much grounded in moral certainties.  He uses the term CHOICE four times in this quote which must simply be to downplay that people don't HATE gays, they just choose not to hire them.  It is a lifestyle choice not to associate with gay people, but it is just a matter of housing patterns that mean no black people live in your cul-de-sac.  Hmmm.

It hasn't taken long for the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell to galvanize advocates and increase pressure (probably on both ends to be fair)

Stephen A. Glassman, chairman of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, said cost concerns can be overblown and have to be balanced against the cost of not actively dealing with discrimination complaints.

"If you can repeal 'don't ask, don't tell' at the federal level, you ought to at least be able to protect people's jobs and housing in the state of Pennsylvania," Mr. Glassman said.

I wonder if Tom Corbett will keep Stephen Glassman as chair?  That will be telling. 

I'm glad the discussion isn't around marriage.  We have to use building blocks.  We need to look inward at Western PA and focus on elections as well as hold our current electeds to some standard of doing something.  It is not 2009. We need to move on and see something happening. 

I'm going to go watch some lady slather honey on a ham. 

Hatboro, PA, passed an anti-discrimination ordinance which included sexual orientation and gender identity.

Then the Mayor vetoed it. 

Hatboro Mayor Norm Hawkes vetoed a measure Monday night that would have established a borough commission to review prejudice claims - a step advocates argued was necessary to extend protection to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people not currently shielded under state law.

Lower Merion commissioners are expected to approve a similar measure at a special meeting Wednesday night.

"I don't feel anyone should be discriminated against anyplace or anywhere," Hawkes said Tuesday. "But I think this is much better handled on a state vs. local level."

Across Pennsylvania, 17 municipalities - including Philadelphia, West Chester, State College, and Doylestown - have enacted ordinances prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity. At least 11 more, such as Radnor and Haverford, have measures pending before their governing bodies.

While the proposals protect all minority groups, pressure to pass them has come largely from the LGBT community, which says its members are left unprotected by state and federal statutes.

The Mayor of Hatboro thinks it is best left to the state rather than local volunteers (??).  Hatboro Council is mustering forces to overturn the veto.  To lend your supportive voice, contact them.Share your story.

But look at those numbers (and this is mainstream media).  17 municipalities + 11 more.  That's a lot of Pennsylvania and, clearly, a lot of activism on the part of gays on the ground. 

My sources tell me that national organizations have been on the ground in Eastern PA working on these initiatives.  I'm not sure if the same is true in Western PA.  I'm not saying it isn't, but we don't have the sort of news outlets necessary to get this information.  Note that my original story comes from the mainstream Philly Inquirer.  Yet here in Pittsburgh, we struggle to access mainstream resources because the Post-Gazette cannot get its technology sorted out.

It is amazing to see what gays are accomplishing and even better that mainstream media in Eastern Pennsylvania are producing informed, thoughtful pieces on these accompishments.  They don't even need the rabble rousing bloggers :-)

sdf

Well ... where to begin.  At last count, I have 600 email messages about DADT in my box and reading through them is dizzying. 

The Pentagon study endorsed the repeal of DADT, finding that 70 of enlisted mend women essentially see no negative impact.  70 percent.  The Pentagon recognizes that repeal decisions from the courts are inevitable and a legislative repeal is the best way to maintain control over the situation. 

OK.  Seems pretty straightforward. 

Nope.  Repeal got all caught up in the ensuing debate over tax repeal and did not pass. DADT was part of the defense reauthorization bill which as a spending bill was part of the larger debate on finances.  Some analyze the political bungling. Stand alone repeal bills have now been introduced.

So now we wait. 

BTW, West Virginia's Senator Manchin was the only D to abandon ship b/c he still thinks there needs to be more time to explore implementation.  Oh, and he needs to talk to West Virginians.  Manchin is just like the Western PA Republicans in Democrats clothing.  Only he has pretty hair.  Beware.