| Do you remember last year when State Sen. John Eichelberger debated Sen. Daylin Leach about marriage equality? He said this about the gay and lesbian citizens of Pennsylvania: "we allow them to exist." No one "allows me to exist." The threat implied by those words outraged Pennsylvanians everywhere. Eichelberger refused to debate Leach again because his real, Final Solution type attitudes slipped out over the public airwaves of WHYY. He did sponsor legislation however outlawing equal rights in our Commonwealth. John Eichelberger doesn't believe that "all men are created equal" or in "equal justice under law." He wants to make discrimination in Pennsylvania legal and his actions doing so will encourage violence against GLBT persons. After all, if these people are second class citizens under the law isn't it OK to bash them, assault them or even kill them? Isn't that what Sen. Eichelberger meant when he said "we allow them to exist?"
This is a huge black eye on Pennsylvania's reputation. James Carville is famous for describing us as Philadelphia on one end, Pittsburgh on the other and Alabama in between. This is an opportunity for Pennsylvanians to show the country that really isn't true. Next Tuesday the State Senate votes in committee on SB 707. I urge all Senators to value every person regardless of sexual orientation, to value equal justice under law, to uphold our federal constitution and the 14th Amendment which guarantees equal justice and vote against Eichelberger's notorious legislation.
I spend a fair amount of time in Harrisburg. I know who is closeted. Any closeted Senator who votes for Eichelberger's bill will be outed. I also know a State Senator who is wildly homophobic and is also an alcoholic. One of her rants will also be made public depending on her vote. This is fair warning. |
