9 Unelected Officials Threaten Your Religious Freedom, Privacy Rights

May 18, 2017 | 0 comments

Proposed Change Would Undermine Personal Privacy and Religious Liberty

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) is proposing a dangerous end-run around the legislature that seriously threatens your personal privacy and religious liberty. We need you to take action today to protect your freedom!

For nearly 50 years, the PA Human Relations Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of “sex.” Throughout all those decades, sex has always been defined in law and practice to mean “male” and “female.”

Now, the PA Human Relations Commission, which consists of nine unelected officials appointed by the governor, is looking to effectively redefine “sex”  (the word as it appears in the law) to mean “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” (phrases that are not in the law).  These are broad-ranging phrases with imprecise definitions that will spur expensive lawsuits and undermine our freedom.

This proposed action is a blatant attempt to take power and authority from the people and our elected representatives, and it puts our freedom and personal privacy in danger.

  • This action would enable the PHRC to force open locker rooms & dressing rooms, showers and restrooms in schools, stores, movie theaters, churches and businesses to those of the opposite sex that identify otherwise. To put it more simply, it would allow males into women’s showers and restrooms, and women into men’s rooms.
  • This action would empower the PHRC to prevent religious schools, ministries and other faith-oriented organizations from hiring only those that abide by the standards established by that faith.  For example, Christian schools would no longer be able to solely hire teachers and staff members that adhere to and live by Christian teachings on human sexuality.
  • This action could empower the PHRC to eventually force homeless shelters, camp cabins and school and college dorms to open up to those of the opposite sex that identify otherwise.  Imagine forcing a shelter for abused women to admit a person – male in every way, except how he identifies – in amongst the other residents.

LGBT advocates have sought to make this change through the legislature for more than a decade without success – thanks to an outpouring of citizens who understand how this will undermine privacy and religious freedom. Now, unelected government officials are seeking to push this harmful policy upon all Pennsylvanians. Your voice is needed to stop this unlawful action.

Here are three things we need you to do:

1) Tell the PA Human Relations Commission to reject this guidance.The commission is taking public feedback on this proposed guidance change now through Friday, May 26. Click here to send an email voicing your disapproval of this guidance.

2) Use Twitter to send @PA_HumRelComm your message. We encourage you to send a direct message to them and to also sign up for our Thunderclap twitter campaign, which will automatically send a one-time message on Thursday, May 25th at 12 noon. Here are a few sample messages you can use:

.@PA_HumRelComm No guidance that creates new definition of sex, harms my privacy rights & religious freedom. #PHRC pafamily.org/urgent

.@PA_HumRelComm No change needed – proposed guidance will only hurt my privacy rights & religious freedom. #PHRC pafamily.org/urgent

.@PA_HumRelComm Where is the evidence for the need of your proposed guidance change? Don’t create problems. #PHRC pafamily.org/urgent

3) Encourage your friends and family to take action as well. You may direct attention to pafamily.org/urgent.