Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester Counties have recently enacted policies that would bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and establish boards that would hear discrimination complaints, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported today.
According to their coverage, the policies “aim to bar discrimination in employment and housing among other areas.” The boards “would be modeled off of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and would review, adjudicate, and mediate discrimination claims,” The Inquirer said.
In early September, Montgomery County approved the first-ever Human Relations Commission (HRC), which is described as “a local body dedicated to ensuring that all residents receive the protections guaranteed under Pennsylvania law” and “will provide Montgomery County residents with a direct, local pathway to address complaints of discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations based on race, religion, age, sex, national origin, or disability status,” according to a press release.
Montgomery County advocates “have called for the bylaws of the new commission to specify the board will define sex discrimination to include gender identity and sexual orientation,” The Inquirer said.
The Delaware County Council unanimously approved a resolution on Wednesday establishing its human relations commission, and next week, the Chester County Board of Commissioners will vote on a nondiscrimination ordinance and human relations commission, The Inquirer said.
In related news, the Resilience Resource Center at 2337 Philmont Avenue, Suite 108, in Huntingdon Valley (Lower Moreland Township) has nearly quadrupled in size since its 2023 inception, according to Mainline Media News.
The center’s growth includes a $20,000 grant awarded to the center by the Gender Justice Fund “which will enable the center to provide integrated programming combining mental health, career coaching, personal styling and intervention support resources specifically designed for trans and gender-expansive individuals.”
According to Resilience Resource Center’s website, it “focuses its work on programs that foster and build resilience skills in marginalized communities” and offers “accessible mental health services, fostering safe-space community and educational environments.”
Representative Madeleine Dean of Glenside visited the center in February to make a case for federal funding for the center and similar organizations.
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