Plain and Simple: Representative Metcalfe is afraid of Equality.
Cowardice, according to
Dictionary.com, is defined as "lack of courage to face danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc."
PA State Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R) of the 12th Legislative District, has shown a considerable amount of cowardice when faced with concepts (i.e. Equality for All) and people (anyone who disagrees with his views) he doesn't understand. Case in point, Metcalfe is the chair of the State Government Committee, where HB 300, a bill that would amend Pennsylvania's existing Non-Discrimination law to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identification, has been languishing in legislative purgatory since August 2013 because he has simply refused to bring it up for a vote. A logical explanation for his refusal to allow a vote on HB 300 is that he is afraid that it might pass, and consequently, the LGBT community would be protected from housing and employment discrimination. Metcalfe may claim his religious beliefs have compelled him to block HB 300, but in reality, his "religious beliefs" are a smokescreen for his deep hatred for equality, fairness and diversity.
To be clear, HB 300 is not a radical bill that seeks to grant special privileges to the LGBT community, it is a bill that would make housing and employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity illegal. This is not a proposed law asking for approval of what he may call "alternative lifestyles". This bill has nothing to do with marriage equality, which ironically is now legal in Pennsylvania because a Bush-appointed Judge recently ruled that a same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional, although of course, Metcalfe has introduced House Resolution 891 begging Gov. Corbett to appeal the decision.
HB 300 has an overwhelming number of co-sponsors and has garnered support from both sides of the aisle including historically anti-gay Governor Corbett! Yes, that's right, the man who compared same-sex relationships to incest even supports this bill!
Here is a list of co-sponsors:
FRANKEL, ROSS, SIMS, SANTARSIERO, BISHOP, BIZZARRO, B. BOYLE, K. BOYLE, BRADFORD, BRIGGS, V. BROWN, BROWNLEE, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, CLAY, COHEN, D. COSTA, P. COSTA, CRUZ, M. DALEY, P. DALEY, DAVIS, DEAN, DeLISSIO, DeLUCA, DERMODY, DONATUCCI, D. EVANS, FABRIZIO, FARINA, FLECK, FLYNN, FREEMAN, GAINEY, GERGELY, GOODMAN, HANNA, HARKINS, J. HARRIS, KAVULICH, W. KELLER, KIM, KINSEY, KIRKLAND, MAHONEY, MARKOSEK, McCARTER, McGEEHAN, McNEILL, MIRANDA, MOLCHANY, MULLERY, MUNDY, MURT, NEILSON, NEUMAN, O'BRIEN, PAINTER, PARKER, PASHINSKI, PEIFER, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, ROEBUCK, ROZZI, SABATINA, SAMUELSON, SCAVELLO, SCHLOSSBERG, SNYDER, STURLA, TAYLOR, THOMAS, VITALI, WATERS, WHEATLEY, YOUNGBLOOD, R. BROWN, PETRI, CONKLIN, WHITE, SCHREIBER, D. MILLER, KILLION, MATZIE, HAGGERTY, QUINN, HARPER, DEASY, DAVIDSON, KOTIK, STEPHENS, GALLOWAY, WATSON, KAMPF and MIRABITO
Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is equally as egregious and unconstitutional as discrimination based on race, sex, age etc.
Frankly, Metcalfe is running out of excuses for his obstruction, because he must know that the majority of Pennsylvanians do not want to legally discriminate against the LGBT community---and recent court rulings on both the State and Federal levels have accumulated and continue to build a mountain of legal precedents supporting equal protection. The above list of HB 300 co-sponsors proves that its passage is of paramount concern to his colleagues in the General Assembly, and by extension the taxpaying voters of Pennsylvania who elected these Representatives to be their voice in Harrisburg.
Passage of HB 300 is beyond overdue, so Rep. Metcalfe, it's time to stop cowering in your safe haven of bigotry, retire your false sense of religious righteousness, face your fear of equality and put this bill up for a vote.