Never mind the will of the people - just change the meaning of the words

It seems that unelected bureaucrat regulators are at it again.

In a quietly released statement issued late on a Friday afternoon, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, an agency of the state government, announced a proposal to effectively redefine the word “sex” in the state’s discrimination law to also include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” or “SOGI” for short.

This proposal wouldn’t change the law—only the commission’s “guidance” on the matter. But this new “guidance” would mean the law would be enforced as if it had changed.

This guidance comes on the heels of repeated failures to accomplish the same outcome through the legitimate way of changing laws—through the legislative process and with the consent of the governed.

. . .

For more than a decade, LGBT activists have sought to add sexual orientation and gender identity language to Pennsylvania’s anti-discrimination statute. This has become one of the most hardly fought social policy efforts of the left.

Pennsylvania is certainly not unique in receiving such challenges from the social left.

It is notable, however, that Pennsylvania citizens have repeatedly been successful in stopping these proposals in the Legislature when most of the states in the northeast have not.

. . .

These and other concerns, brought to the attention of Pennsylvania lawmakers by their constituents, have thus far succeeded in preventing a statewide adoption of sexual orientation and gender identity legislation.

This despite significant spending by national special interests and the hiring of some of the most powerful lobbyists in Harrisburg to pressure the House and Senate to cave.

That brings us to Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Tom Wolf.

Wolf, named America’s most liberal governor, instigated a shakeup in the Human Relations Commission by demoting the chairman and installing a new chairman to further his agenda.

There's more at the link.

The open period for comments on the proposal closed last Friday - and there was very little publicity given to the matter, so most people probably weren't aware of it at all.

I urge my readers in Pennsylvania to take up the matter with their elected representatives.  This is yet another example of faceless bureaucrats, who weren't elected by you yet claim to speak and act for you, imposing their ideas on you whether or not you approve of them.  It's time they got their come-uppance, one way or another.  It may be necessary to pass amending legislation to overturn this nonsense, but if so, I hope all right-minded Pennsylvanians will step up to the plate and do it.

To hell with unelected bureaucratic regulators!




Peter