The Chester County Board of Commissioners this week passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, writes Katie Bernard for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Democratic-controlled Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 along party lines to adopt a comprehensive nondiscrimination ordinance protecting LGBTQ residents, alongside established protected classes including sex, race, and age.
This action makes Chester County the first Philadelphia collar county to enact an ordinance exceeding existing state and federal anti-discrimination protections.
Taking effect in December, this will create a human relations commission tasked with reviewing, mediating, and adjudicating discrimination claims in housing, employment, and public accommodations.
“I am ecstatic that Chester County can be a place that is welcoming to everyone,” said Josh Maxwell, a Democrat who chairs the board of commissioners.
Democrat Marian Moskowitz noted that the new policy will protect all county residents and combat other discrimination as well.
“Lately there’s a lot of nervousness out here,” she said. “It may be hidden. It’s there. Things happening in the federal government, we are starting to lose our rights. We have to make sure that Chester County residents know we are here for them.”
Read more about the discrimination ordinance that protects all residents in Chester County, no matter their identity, in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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