Howard: Ordinance protects LGBT rights

‘ ‘ ‘ Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have, for decades, functioned as the only bastions of civil… ‘ ‘ ‘ Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have, for decades, functioned as the only bastions of civil liberty and equality in a state otherwise characterized by biblically inspired bigotry and hate. ‘ ‘ ‘ For too long, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community have faced legalized discrimination outside of these two urban centers. ‘ ‘ ‘ But civil rights in southwestern Pennsylvania will no longer stop at the Pittsburgh city limits if an Allegheny County anti-discrimination ordinance is successfully passed by the county council. ‘ ‘ ‘ The ordinance, proposed by county councilwoman Amanda Green in July of last year, would protect individuals from discrimination based on such factors as race, national origin and color. More importantly and controversially, the ordinance would prohibit discrimination based on a person’s ‘gender identity or expression [or] sexual orientation.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The ordinance would also set up a 16-member commission to investigate claims of discrimination that would punish violations of the ordinance. ‘ ‘ ‘ In short, the ordinance would give members of the LGBT community the same protections as everyone else and provide for the punishment of people unwilling to cooperate with tolerance. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ This is one step toward the culmination of a century of civil rights movements in the United States. Women and blacks have been given the right to vote, and schools and public facilities have been desegregated. Now it’s time to protect the LGBT community from employment and housing discrimination. ‘ ‘ ‘ But just as hate mongers, religious bigots and the ignorant came out of the woodwork to oppose the rights of women and blacks, opposition has slowly formed against this ordinance. ‘ ‘ ‘ The American Family Association of Pennsylvania, which describes itself as ‘a Christian organization promoting the biblical ethic of decency in American society,’ has been especially vocal in denouncing the ordinance. The Association has distributed e-mails that claim that the ordinance would force schools, churches and businesses to employ people who engage in bestiality and incest. ‘ ‘ ‘ Organizations such as the American Family Association of Pennsylvania are the spiritual descendents of groups like the Ku Klux Klan, groups that campaigned against desegregation and civil rights by telling white people that integration was a sexual threat to white women. ‘ ‘ ‘ We should remember that the KKK was a ‘good Christian’ organization, that it claimed to be upholding the biblical ethic every time it lynched a black man or burned a cross. ‘ ‘ ‘ Such hate has no place in our society, but as of Sunday the Post-Gazette reported that councilwoman Green only has the ‘tentative support of seven of her colleagues.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Eight council members are enough to pass the ordinance, and although it is important that this ordinance be adopted, it is equally important that it is approved by a significant majority of council members. Approving the ordinance by a slight majority would send the wrong message to the people of Pennsylvania, and it would demonstrate that the voices of intolerance still have a strong public presence in southwestern Pennsylvania. ‘ ‘ ‘ We cannot afford to be branded as a community that accepts all peoples regardless of race, religion and sexual orientation, but only just barely. ‘ ‘ ‘ Southwestern Pennsylvania is already a center for progressive medicine and higher education. Now the area has an opportunity to serve as an example of tolerance and decency to the rest of this state. ‘ ‘ ‘ In pursuing such an ordinance, we must remember that such protections do not exist at the state level and that people across this state do not enjoy the protections that the citizens of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh do. To extend such rights throughout all of Allegheny County is an important step in galvanizing change in Harrisburg and, hopefully, in Washington. ‘ ‘ ‘ This ordinance is just one small part of our modern civil rights struggle to extend the full privileges of citizenship to gay Americans. This ordinance brings us one step closer to full marriage rights for homosexuals and the public repudiation of bigots. ‘ ‘ ‘ It is time to deny bigotry a role in public discourse and to elevate our region above the hate, lies and fear of those who are so insecure in their own rights as to deny them to others.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ E-mail Giles at gbh4@pitt.edu.