Legislators to Introduce Marriage Equality Bill in PA House

by Brittany Tressler

Reps. Brian Sims (D-Philadelphia) and Steve McCarter (D-Montgomery County and Philadelphia) announced they will introduce a bill in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to provide marriage equality in Commonwealth, just one day after Sims was silenced from addressing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on the House floor.

Sims, the first member of the Pennsylvania legislature to be elected as a gay candidate, said the bill will be similar to Senate Bill 719, which was introduced by Montgomery County State Senator Daylin Leach earlier this year.

“After Wednesday's decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court, it is past time for Pennsylvania to join the 12 states – soon to be 13 because of California – and the District of Columbia, that already provide this basic measure of equality and dignity to their residents,” Sims said.

According to Equality Pennsylvania Executive Director Ted Martin, this bill will provide “committed same-sex couples with the security that only marriage can provide.”

Sims cited a steady grown in support or marriage equality, and he believes “more and more legislators from both parties will decide to be on the right side of history.”

At least one Pennsylvania legislator, Rep Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) will not be on that side, after blocking Sim’s comments on DOMA on the House floor Wednesday through a procedural maneuver.

“I did not believe that as a member of that body that I should allow someone to make comments such as he was preparing to make that ultimately were just open rebellion against what the word of God has said, open rebellion against God’s law," Metcalfe said, according to the Huffington Post.

Sims said he had not planned to criticize gay marriage detractors in his speech.

"I wasn't planning on chastising anybody. I was planning on discussing how far we have to come in Pennsylvania or that we really have no civil rights in Pennsylvania,” said Sims, according to Newsworks.

Sims said that after the contentious moment on the floor, several Republicans approached him on the floor to apologize and to offer support.