NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  February 25, 2008

CONTACT:  Diane Gramley  1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355

Pittsburgh City Council Wrong to Support Special Rights Bills

(Pittsburgh) – On January 29^th the Pittsburgh City Council passed a resolution (found on page 9 of the minutes) urging the ‘Pittsburgh delegation to the Pennsylvania General Assembly’ to support H.B.1400 and S.B. 761.  These bills would add ‘sexual orientation and gender identity or expression’ to the PA Human Relations Act.  In light of recent statements made by Matt Foreman, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, today the American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA), a statewide traditional values group, faxed each of the Pittsburgh City Council Members a letter outlining the problems associated with passage of such laws. 

“It is outrageous that any City Council would urge its delegation to the State Capitol to support a homosexual special rights bill.  These bills promote a lifestyle which homosexual activist Matt Foreman says is the chief cause of HIV/AIDS.   H.B. 1400 and S.B. 761 seek to redefine who Pennsylvania is and how it does business.  These bills will force businesses to permit men who think they are women to use the women’s restroom and workplace dressing rooms and shower facilities.  Just ask the Philadelphia Boy Scouts how adding ‘sexual orientation’ to laws will affect the Scouts,” commented Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA.  

The last statement was in reference to Philadelphia’s Cradle of Liberty Scout Council which faces a May 31^st eviction from the headquarters they built and have maintained since 1929.  This action was taken because the Boy Scouts prohibit open homosexual leaders and members and the City’s Fair Practices Ordinance contains the words ‘sexual orientation.’  

The list of problems provided to Pittsburgh City Council members included:

q    Non-Discrimination laws have been used to legalize same-sex marriage or civil unions in a number of states including Massachusetts, Vermont and New Jersey.

q    Passage of H.B. 1400/S.B. 761 would force all PA businesses with four or more employees to permit men who think they are women to use the women’s restroom and workplace dressing rooms and shower facilities.

q    Passage of such a bill would give the Commonwealth’s stamp of approval upon a lifestyle which, in the words of Matt Foreman, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, accounts for 70 percent of people with HIV. He even calls HIV a ‘gay disease.’  (His remarks can be found in the  last paragraph, page 3 at the above link.)

q    Passage of either H.B. 1400 or S.B. 761 would infringe upon religious freedoms.  One example is Catholic Charities of Boston who was forced to end its adoption services because of the passage of a similar bill in Massachusetts. 

q    Civil rights protections historically have been extended to groups based on immutable characteristics such as skin color or race, political powerlessness or the inability to make a livable wage.  None of these apply to homosexuals in their attempt to hijack the civil rights movement.

q    Civil rights protections should never be based on the sexual activity in which one chooses to engage. 

“The push to normalize the homosexual lifestyle poses a danger to the citizens of Pennsylvania.  HIV/AIDS is considered an epidemic, yet homosexual activists and now the City of Pittsburgh are pushing for passage of bills that would validate the very lifestyle that is the greatest cause of HIV/AIDS. Homosexuals have never been forced to sit at the back of the bus, yet continue in their efforts to hijack the civil rights movement.  The AFA of PA is asking the City Council of Pittsburgh to rescind the January 29^th resolution,” Gramley remarked.

Shortly after Matt Foreman’s February 8^th remarks, the AFA of PA contacted each sponsor of H.B. 1400 and each member of the House State Government Committee and asked them not to support the bill. 

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should be taking steps to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic and not write special protections into law for the very lifestyle that is producing 70% of those with the disease.

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