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News Release
For Immediate Release: July 1, 2009
Contact: Diane Gramley 1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355

Democratic -Controlled Allegheny County Council Votes to Forbid the Citizens’ Voices

(Pittsburgh) – Tonight during debate on the homosexual special rights Ordinance 4201-08, Councilman Chuck McCullough offered an amendment to put the ordinance before the people in the form of a referendum. Diane Gramley, president of the statewide group the American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA) and who was in attendance tonight, noted that it became quite evident that the Democratic members of Council and the homosexual activists in attendance did not want the people to be given an opportunity to vote on a referendum.

“Various Council Members remarked that the people had voted them in to make tough decisions and this issue is not something Allegheny County residents understand. How many residents, beyond the homosexual activists pushing this ordinance, even knew about the existence of Ordinance 4201-08 let alone that it was going to be voted on tonight? It’s not that the people don’t understand the issue, it’s that those pushing this ordinance know the people understand it full well and would vote it down if given the opportunity,” remarked Gramley.

It’s really the supporting Council Members that chose to ignore the facts. The AFA of PA presented them with evidence about the way such ordinances have played out in other areas. This included the man who thinks he is a woman demanding to use the women’s fitting room in a Philadelphia Kmart and the Cradle of Liberty Scout Council being evicted from the headquarters they built and have maintained since 1929. Additionally, the promises of an economic boom in Allegheny County with the passage of this ordinance will not play out as they have not in Erie County, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.

Three of the four original sponsors of the ordinance – Matt Drozd (District 1), Michael Finnerty (District 4), Bob Macey (District 9), and James Ellenbogan (District 12), who had dropped sponsorship partially because of the December 16^th testimony of Gramley, stuck by their decision not to support the ordinance. Only Bob Macey backed away from that decision and voted in favor of the homosexual special rights ordinance. This even after admitting the vast majority of phone calls into his office were opposed to the ordinance.

Within the past few days, the AFA of PA placed an online petition opposing Ordinance 4201-08 on their website. During tonight’s meeting the names of more than 600 signatories were delivered to the Council.

“Allegheny County residents will wake up Thursday morning and realize that by a vote of 8 - 6 the County Council has placed businesses in the county in a situation where they must hire homosexuals, bisexuals and men who think they are women, county pools must allow men in the women’s locker and shower facilities, public restrooms must be open to anyone and religious schools must hire those whose lifestyle choices go against their moral teachings. Allegheny County will wake up to a world their County Council has chosen for them simply because the majority of their Council Members don’t believe they are intelligent enough to understand the issue. I believe the Council may be in for a surprise,” concluded Gramley.

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