County May Follow Lower Merion in Non-Discrimination Law

Through an array of federal and state laws afford legal protections against discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, national origin and disability, a hypothetical Montgomery County ordinance would seek to afford similar protections to people who could suffer discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Lower Merion is among 22 Pennsylvania municipalities that have passed nondiscrimination ordinances that specifically included protections for LGBT people.

"I believe it is critically important for our county to be at the leading edge of ensuring the rights of everyone in Montgomery County, in particular those who do not have certain protected rights right now in the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered] community," Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Chairman Josh Shapiro said.

Montgomery County could be the first county to do so, according to a list published in January by the Human Rights Campaign.

Part of the working group's job will be to determine whether state law affords Montgomery County the standing to enact such an ordinance or whether the county could bring any authority to bear on parties found to be in violation of any such ordinance.

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