Pittston Passes Policy to Protect LGBT People from Discrimination
On June 25, 2013, Pittston City Council passed a local ordinance protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people from discrimination in the city.
With the passage of this policy, Pittston becomes the 32nd municipality in the state and the 1st in Luzerne County to ensure that LGBT people are protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations like hospitals, libraries, and hotels.
This historic victory is the direct result of organizations like Equality Pennsylvania and NEPA Rainbow Alliance partnering with local advocates on the ground who organized, talked to their city’s leaders, and asked for the change they wanted to see.
Pittston’s ordinance builds on the growing momentum for local and statewide policies protecting LGBT people from discrimination. Even as statewide legislation is pending before the General Assembly, it’s critical that we continue to advocate for these local policies.
Every ordinance we pass — from Pittston to Pittsburgh to Philadelphia — shows our lawmakers that Pennsylvanians are in favor of protecting all people from discrimination. Every ordinance we pass puts us one step closer to winning on a statewide level.
Currently, the following municipalities have protected LGBT citizens with comprehensive non-discrimination policies. Our work continues as we seek to grow this list and ensure that all Pennsylvanians are protected under the law.
- City of Philadelphia (1982 SO, 2002 GI)
- City of Harrisburg (1983)
- City of Pittsburgh (1997)
- City of York (1998)
- City of Lancaster (2002)
- Allentown Ordinance (2002)
- Erie County (2002)
- City of Erie (2002)
- New Hope Borough (2002)
- City of Scranton (2003)
- Swarthmore Borough (2006)
- City of West Chester (2006)
- City of Easton (2006)
- Lansdowne Borough (2006)
- State College Borough (2007)
- Allegheny County (2009)
- City of Reading (2009)
- Doylestown Borough (2010)
- Lower Merion Township (2010)
- Borough of Conshohocken (2011)
- Haverford Township (2011)
- City of Bethlehem (2011)
- Springfield Township (2011)
- Newtown Borough (2011)
- Whitemarsh Township (2011)
- Jenkintown Borough (2011)
- Susquehanna Township (2011)
- Cheltenham Borough (2012)
- Abington Township (2012)
- Upper Merion Township (2012)
- East Norriton Township (2012)
- City of Pittston (2013)
