Bethlehem's New Anti-Discrimination Bill Under Attack

On June 7, the city of Bethlehem had a chance to finally pass a bill that would protect the LGBT community from discrimination. But because of vague wording within the bill’s text, the vote to ratify it has been postponed until June 21st. The bill would create a Human Relations Commission in Bethlehem, which would prevent discrimination in housing, public facilities and the workspace. Bethlehem is the largest city in Pennsylvania without an antidiscrimination ordinance; clearly, this legislation is long overdue. The mayor, John Callahan, supports the bill, saying "I think it sends a very clear message to people about Bethlehem that we're inclusive and we put a high value on human rights,” in an interview with WFMZ News. However, although the legislation has strong community support, it is still threatened by two anti-gay groups. The American Family Association and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Allentown have been spreading homophobic propaganda to try and kill the bill, warning of an impending takeover of the city by those favoring the “gay lifestyle.” They are also responsible for the inclusion of an extremely vague “religious exemption,” which would exempt about 50% of the city from following this ordinance. We can’t allow bigotry and misinformation to carry the day in Bethlehem. Please sign the petition at http://www.change.org/petitions/urge-bethlehem-pa-to-adopt-a-strong-lgbt-inclusive-non-discrimination-law?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=share_petition, urging Bethlehem’s City Council to pass the ordinance after making the “religious exemption” clause more specific. We also need as many people as possible to pack City Hall on June 21st, the next time the bill will be voted on.Hopefully, the city of Bethlehem will take a stand for civil rights for everyone.