City of Philadelphia - File #: 120663

• File #: 120663
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 9/13/2012
• In control: Committee on Labor and Civil Service
• Title: Authorizing the Committee on Labor and Civil Service to hold public hearings reviewing the positive economic impact of workplace non-discrimination and equal benefits policies, which protect all employees, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember O'Brien, Councilmember Henon, Councilmember Blackwell

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
9/13/2012	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed on This Week's Final Passage Calendar	Pass
9/13/2012	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED & REFERRED

Title
Authorizing the Committee on Labor and Civil Service to hold public hearings reviewing the positive economic impact of workplace non-discrimination and equal benefits policies, which protect all employees, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
Body
WHEREAS, Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, is a City that embraces and celebrates diversity, including members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community; and

WHEREAS, LGBT people are an important part of the American workforce. As such, ensuring equal workplace benefits and non-discrimination protections for LGBT employees is critical for keeping Philadelphia's workforce competitive and is crucial to the health of our community as it continues to work towards full inclusion; and

WHEREAS, The people of Pennsylvania have already witnessed significant improvement in the number of public and private workplaces that have instituted such policies. According to survey data from Equality Pennsylvania, the leading advocate for the rights of LGBT Pennsylvanians, 74 percent of registered voters in Philadelphia and 69 percent of registered voters statewide support legislation banning discrimination against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression on matters dealing with the workplace, public housing and public accommodations; and

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia City Council has been amending its laws accordingly since 1982 to include non-discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation, marital status, and gender identity in the areas of employment, housing and accommodation. Specifically, the Philadelphia Fair Practices Ordinance addresses fair practices in employment, housing, and accommodations; and

WHEREAS, A growing chorus of our nation's top corporate leaders have publicly stated that improvements in such workplace policies are not only morally imperative...