News Release
For Immediate Release: October 27, 2014
Contact: Diane Gramley 1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355
Reading, PA Depends Upon Men in Women’s Bathrooms for Success
(Harrisburg) — Earlier this month the Greater Reading Convention & Visitors Bureau unveiled its new initiative to ” enhance inclusiveness throughout Greater Reading.” The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA), a statewide values group, has contacted Bureau president Crystal Seitz congratulating her on targeting just 1.6 percent of the entire US population in this new initiative. The communication also noted that only 2.7 percent of Pennsylvanians identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender! The AFA of PA also asked about the transgender issue and the issue of men in women’s restrooms noting the lawsuit by a former employee against Cabela’s in neighboring Hamburg.
“Our correspondence with Seitz asked her what part of the 2.7 percent identifying as LGBT live in the Greater Reading area? We also noted that according to a 2013 Gallup Poll, which surveyed over 206,000 adults in the US — 9,716 in PA — Pennsylvania is among the ten states with the lowest population of those who identify as LGBT. What does Reading hope to gain by this initiative? Have residents and businesses which have signed on been fully briefed as to the ramifications? Are they prepared to open the women’s restrooms to men who think they are women ” questioned Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA.
Five years ago Reading passed an ordinance which added sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to its anti-discrimination ordinance. Isn’t that still in force? Apparently that did not promote the homosexual, bisexual and transgender lifestyles enough and they had to take additional steps to roll out the red carpet for them.
“Earlier this month Seitz said, ‘It’s all about making people feel comfortable, no matter what ethnicity, no matter their diversity, no matter where they’re from or who they are, and that’s what we hope to be represented by here in Greater Reading.’ Does Seitz fully realize what this statement means in relation to the new LGBT initiative? We specifically asked her how many female customers want to be in a restroom with a fully equipped male? How comfortable will they feel? This is the door that Reading is throwing open even wider with this new LGBT initiative,” noted Gramley.
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