Mark My Words
By Mark Segal
PGN Publisher
© 2007 Philadelphia Gay News

If you want information, just Google it. That’s what I was doing when I started to look up some of the negative statements made during the fight in City Council for domestic partnerships, the intended topic of my column this week. By remembering the statements made by various religious and community leaders, I hoped to point out how far we have come on our road to equality in Philadelphia. But Googling “Philadelphia domestic partners” brings up 1,870,000 results.

As I went through a few pages, it suddenly dawned on me that the domestic-partners issue was the golden opportunity for our community to showcase the unfairness of the law, and the myriad repercussions, from healthcare to taxes and even death of a loved one. Schools, religion and even corporate policy were changed.

The domestic-partnership legislation touched so many people in so many ways that it single-handedly demonstrated what our struggle is all about: It educated people on our plight.

So why bring this up now? An effort is underway to add gender identity and gender expression to Pennsylvania’s nondiscrimination law. Lawmakers have held hearings around the state (Erie, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia so far) to initiate dialogue and gather input. This is a good thing!

While the hearings might bring out the right-wingers and religious zealots, they also bring out people who are concerned about what new legislation will mean to them. Those people are often surprised by what they learn and often shocked when they hear about a woman or man being fired for no other reason than loving someone of the same gender, and that the firing is legal. (At present, only 14 jurisdictions in Pennsylvania provide protections.) To lose one’s livelihood, pension and security just for being gay is often a turning point for fair-minded people.

The organizers were very smart to take this legislation on a roadside tour of the state. For the most part, the larger cities in the state already have protective legislation and their citizens understand the need. It is the rural parts of the state — where members of our community feel the need to be closeted — where we need to educate the populous. This is the way to get the job done. If you live in a rural area, I encourage you to reach out to the local media. For many, an interview with a member of our community in the local press will be the first time they encounter a GLBT person. The road to civil rights is through education.

Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com.