News Release
For Immediate Release: December 15, 2010
Contact: Diane Gramley 1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355
Hatboro Mayor’s Veto Stands – Pro-Family Group Commends Council
(Philadelphia) – After hearing two hours of public comment, Hatboro Council failed to get the five votes needed to override Mayor Norm Hawkes’ veto of Ordinance 998, which would have created a human rights ordinance with “sexual orientation, gender identity or expression” language and a local human relations commission. The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA), a statewide pro-family group, had contacted the Council members on November 18th outlining concerns about the ordinance and giving examples of problems created in other areas where these type ordinances have passed. The AFA of PA commends the Mayor and Council members for doing the right thing in stopping the ordinance.
“Since the mayor’s veto of the ordinance on December 6th, he and the three Council members who originally voted against the ordinance on November 22nd have been called bigots and homophobes. This name-calling shows how intolerant those who are crying for tolerance the loudest are,” Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA commented.
Councilwoman Guenst’s efforts to get the ordinance passed were influenced by the fact her daughter is homosexual and she wanted Hatboro to be more ‘receptive. However, where is the evidence that Hatboro is not receptive? The former president of the Greater Hatboro Chamber of Commerce is a homosexual and at least one outspoken homosexual business owner Bill Godshall attended the borough meetings and spoke in support of the ordinance. If Hatboro was not already receptive, would the Chamber of Commerce have chosen a homosexual as president or would a homosexual open his business in the borough?
“Tonight Godshall asked the Democratic mayor and three Republicans who voted ‘no’ on the ordinance to forget their ‘political agendas’ and support the ordinance. However, it was a political agenda that got the ordinance introduced in the first place. The ordinance supporters were trying to fix a problem that did not exist,” noted Gramley.
During the November 22nd meeting, Bill Godshall exposed the true intention behind the ordinance – use the force of law to silence those who believe in family values. He complained about green flyers being distributed in the borough expressing the need to oppose the ordinance and protect family values. During the meeting he said, “These are the people we need to be protected from.”
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