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WHEREAS, in the year 2015, Pennsylvania remains the only state in the Northeast where a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression can be used as a legal form of discrimination to deny housing, public accommodation, and employment because of who they are and whom they love; and,
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania currently prohibits such discrimination based on a person's race, color, religion, ancestry, age, national origin, familial status, and handicap or disability--all traits that are fundamental or immutable parts of who a person is, just as sexual orientation and gender identity are; and
WHEREAS, many states across the country have already amended their civil rights laws to protect against LGBT discrimination, including our neighbor states New York, New Jersey, and Maryland; and
WHEREAS, it is simply not logical that in the same state where full marriage equality has been recognized, discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression remains permitted under the law; and,
WHEREAS, though a number of Pennsylvania municipalities, including the City of Pittsburgh, have already instituted protections for a person's sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression, there remain countless municipalities, townships, and boroughs across the Commonwealth where Pennsylvanians can still be discriminated against because of who they are; and
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NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh recognizes the inalienable right of all Pennsylvanians to be protected from discrimination regardless of race, color, familial status, religious creed, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, handicap or disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Council of the City of Pittsburgh urges our fellow citizens of the Commonwealth- straight, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, or questioning- to insist that our representative...
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