Allentown's Bid to Make Some Gay Rights History

If you've ever listened to the soundtrack of 42nd Street, or picked up a copy of Billy Joel's greatest hits, you've heard of Allentown, Pennsylvania. But beyond just the pop culture lore, the city is gaining prominence as growth from nearby Philadelphia continues to move in its direction.

I have a particular bone to pick with Allentown, as toward the end of the 1990s, the city was in a competition with my hometown (Erie, Pennsylvania) for third most populous city in Pennsylvania. Allentown won, and hasn't looked back. But here's one way that Allentown can earn back some good graces, not only from me but from LGBT residents throughout Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley -- the city is set to consider offering medical benefits to partners of gay municipal employees. If it adopts the measure, Allentown will become another example of local advances for LGBT equality in the Keystone State, and the first city to offer such benefits in the region.

"This is about equality and doing the right thing for our very hard-working city staff members," said Adrian Shanker to the Allentown Morning Call. Shanker is Vice President of the Pennsylvania Diversity Network, a statewide group that provides resources for LGBT residents and information about doctors, lawyers, venues, and more from an LGBT perspective. Shanker is also an Allentown resident.

"[This bill is] about recruiting and retaining the most talented employees for the city of Allentown," Shanker concluded.

And it looks like there's momentum on Allentown's City Council to make this legislation a reality.

The President of the City Council, Michael D'Amore, backs the measure, and has become one of the leaders of ushering the measure through.

"This is about fairness and equality," D'Amore said. "Gay employees' inability to get married in this state should not preclude them from getting health benefits."

Sounds sensible enough, right? Pennsylvania doesn't recognize same-sex marriage, and it doesn't look likely that it will in the next few years, which means that local governments are a prime option for advancing LGBT equality. And in regards to offering the partners of gay municipal employees medical benefits, it's already something that neighboring Philadelphia does, as well as several large employers in Allentown, including Muhlenberg College.

What's the catch? Well, for starters, Mayor Ed Pawlowski hasn't indicated where he stands on the issue, and a number of other folks are worried that the move could cost the city heaps of money. True, there is a financial element to this. But expanding medical benefits to the partners of gay municipal employees certainly won't break the bank. Moreover, as Councilman D'Amore noted, this isn't about the question of money.

"For me, this is a matter of equity and civil rights," D'Amore said. "You can't put a price tag on that."

So why not send Allentown some love in the form of an email message, letting the city know that the country is watching, and it's hoping that the city moves in the direction of equality. This would be a significant advance for LGBT equality in the region, and would only add to the meme that Pennsylvania cities are willing to move on issues near and dear to the LGBT population.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons