News Release
For Immediate Release: January 14, 2011
Contact: Diane Gramley 1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355
Abington Commissioners Vote Down Discriminatory “Anti-Discrimination” Ordinance
(Philadelphia) — After a three hour contentious meeting, the Board of Commissioners of Abington Township, Montgomery County, voted 10-5 not to advance the proposed human relations ordinance. The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA), a statewide advocate for traditional values, marriage, family and children, had provided detailed examples of what had happened in other municipalities that have passed such ordinances.
“Abington Commissioners made the right decision to defeat this proposal. Police Chief Kelly’s presentation showed that there was no need for this ordinance. These are meant to use the force of law to require citizens to validate the homosexual lifestyle. They are meant to infringe upon the rights of citizens with deeply held religious beliefs that engaging in homosexual acts is sin,” Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA remarked.
The information that the AFA of PA e-mailed the commissioners asked the same questions that other area elected officials have been asked and remain unanswered:
What stories of real discrimination of homosexuals have your heard?
Can those who identify as homosexual in Abington Township not find a job, rent or buy a home or eat in a restaurant?
Information sent also included stories from other locations where these ordinances have passed. These included
- the ongoing story of the City of Philadelphia’s attempt to oust the Cradle of Liberty Scout Counsel from their headquarters
- In New Mexico the $7,000 fine a Christian photographer had to pay for refusing to photograph a lesbian commitment ceremony, even after referring them to another photographer
- In Indianapolis, the bakery that faced eviction from a city owned building because they refused to bake cookies for a homosexual group
“Those with an agenda are targeting Delaware and Montgomery Counties “encouraging” them to pass these ordinances. They are not necessary and Abington Township recognized that last night. Passage of these ordinances will be used, and this has been stated more and more publicly recently, to put pressure on the legislative body in Harrisburg to pass a state wide law – to amend the PA Human Relations Act to include “actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.” This is a misguided effort to force the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to accept homosexuality as normal,” further commented Gramley.
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