AFA of PA ACTION ALERT

September 24, 2020

Issue

Gettysburg So-Called Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

Details

On February 19 the AFA of PA sent an email to the Gettysburg Boro Council outlining the reasons they should not advance a so-called anti-discrimination ordinance which would include ‘sexual orientation and gender identity,’ impacting employment, housing and public accommodation.  This was followed by a physical mailing to all council members.  The effort to get this homosexual special rights ordinance passed began last September with Chad-Alan Carr, founder and president of the homosexual group Gettysburg Pride, asking the borough to enact such an ordinance.  Thankfully, because of COVID-19 this effort was slowed, but unfortunately not stopped. 

We call this a “homosexual special rights ordinance” because it would extend protections simply based the changeable characteristics of sexual orientation and gender identity, not unchangeable characteristics such as race and ethnicity.    No one is born ‘gay’ or transgender.  No ‘gay’ gene or transgender gene has ever been found and never will be!

 In July Gettysburg Borough Council discussed the creation of a Human Relations Commission, if the ordinance passes, but acknowledged they had no idea what the cost of such a commission would be.  During the August 24th workshop meeting they discussed the ordinance and now the vote will be coming up. 

Here’s some of the information that the AFA of PA has sent the Gettysburg Borough Council:

The APA Handbook (2014) corrects the APA Task Force Report (2009): sexual orientation does change, has psychoanalytic causes, and may be caused by childhood sexual abuse trauma. Haynes, L. (September 27, 2016), The American Psychological Association Says Born-That-Way-and-Can’t-Change Is Not True of Sexual Orientation and Childhood Gender Dysphoria.

There is a reason the legislature has not passed this statewide and the majority of local municipalities that have passed such ordinances are in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  The ramifications are immense! 

  • Employers, even daycares, would be forced to hire homosexuals and transgenders.  How confusing for the children if a male who identifies as a female came to work at the daycare wearing a dress!
  • Employers will be forced to allow men who identify as women to use the women’s bathroom and to use their “preferred pronoun.”  Currently, a Dunkin’ Donuts in Bethlehem (which passed the type ordinance you are considering) is being sued by a former male employee who identifies as a woman because his fellow employees would not call him by his preferred female name and, after complaints from female customers, management refused to allow him to use the women’s restroom.
  • Do you have a public pool located within the boro?  If this ordinance is passed, management would be forced to allow men who identify as women to use the women’s locker/shower facilities!
  • Christian bakers, florists, photographers, etc. within the boro would be sued if they refuse to use their God-given talents to participate in a same-sex wedding.  We’ve seen this played out around the country where such ordinances have been passed. Even though the owners served homosexual customers on other occasions, they could not in good conscience ignore their convictions and take part in something they knew was wrong. 

Action Steps

The next Gettysburg Borough Council meeting is 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 28th at the Borough Building, Troxell Council Chambers, 59 East High Street, Gettysburg.   Because of COVID, all meetings are being held via ZOOM.

If this concerns you, contact the borough council and ask them to not support this or any anti-discrimination ordinance which contains sexual orientation and/or gender identity language.

Phone:

(717) 334-1160

Fax:

(717) 334-7258

Here’s the link to contact info for all the borough council members.  

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