Tonight the Pittston City Council unanimously adopted a non-discrimination ordinance inclusive of protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Local organizers have worked on the ordinance with the council members since March 2013.

Pittston has become the 31st municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance.  The small city of about 8,000 is the first in Luzerne County and second in northeastern Pennsylvania to adopt this type of local law. Over two dozen community supporters of the ordinance attended the final vote this evening. Advocates present included members of the NEPA Rainbow Alliance board and PSEC.

Without an inclusive statewide non-discrimination law, Pennsylvanians who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT), or those perceived as LGBT, can be legally discriminated against. Countless LGBT Pennsylvanians have been fired, evicted from their home, or denied a public accommodation on this basis.

Pittston’s State Representative, Rep. Mike Carroll, is a co-sponsor of HB 300 – the state’s leading non-discrimination legislation.

Currently 32% of Pennsylvania’s population (4.1 million residents) lives in the 31 municipalities with inclusive nondiscrimination laws.

For further information on local non-discrimination ordinances in Pennsylvania please visit the website of the Suburban and Rural Alliance of Pennsylvania (SARA of PA) at http://sarapennsylvania.org.