Schlossberg to host gay rights forum ** State representative to be joined by other legislators in a Twitter town hall meeting.

Morning Call - Allentown, Pa.Subjects: Equality; Sexual orientation; Same sex marriage; Social networks; Equal rights; Legislators; Gays &

lesbians; Human relationsAuthor: Opilo, EmilyDate: Jan 13, 2014Start Page: A.6Section: News

What do they want? #paequality. When do they want it? #now.

This week, state Rep. Mike Schloosberg, D-Lehigh, will host an online discussion about gay rights and marriage equality during a Twitter town hall meeting slated for Tuesday. The event, which will begin at 7 p.m., will be co-hosted by state Rep. Brian Sims, D-Philadelphia, one of the Legislature's openly gay lawmakers.

Online participants are invited to join the conversation by tweeting Schlossberg (@RepSchlossberg) or Sims (@RepSims) with the hashtag #paequality. Questions and comments also will be accepted on the representatives' Facebook pages.

Schlossberg, who has built a reputation as one off the state's most social-media savvy politicians, has held two Twitter town hall meetings in the past, but this will be the first meeting he has hosted on a specific topic.

Gay rights was a natural choice for the discussion because it is such a broad topic, he said, but also because the status of gay rights has been in flux in Pennsylvania.

Two major issues have dominated the discussion of gay rights in the state: nondiscrimination and marriage equality. State leaders will likely discuss a nondiscrimination measure in 2014 that would add gender identity and sexual orientation as protected classes to the state's Human Relations Commission legislation.

Without that protection, a gay man or woman could be evicted from an apartment or lose a job based on his or her sexual orientation, Schlossberg said.

"That's absurd beyond belief in the 21st century," Schlossberg said."That's one piece I have real hope we can pass this session."

Schlossberg also expects to discuss the issue of marriage equality, which has long been a divisive topic in Pennsylvania. For several years, bills have been proposed on both sides of the issue, some to legalize gay marriage, others to define marriage as a union between a man and woman.

For the first time this year, there are more sponsors to legalize same-sex marriage than there are to limit marriage, Schlossberg said.

Sims, who has long been an advocate for gay rights, said Schlossberg came to him with the idea of the issue-driven town hall and he jumped at the opportunity. The public needs information and answers, he said, and it's a legislator's job to share that information with people on both sides of the issue.

"It's dismissive to say we're going after 17-, 18-, 19-year-olds," said Sims, 35. "Yes, they know Twitter, but so does my generation. It's more about engaging the type of person that uses this type of social media."

In addition to Schlossberg and Sims, many other legislators have signed on to participate in the forum: Reps. Jordan Harris, D-Philadelphia; Michelle Brownlee, D-Philadelphia; Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery; Steve Santarsiero, D-Bucks; Brendan Boyle, D-Philadelphia; Stephen Kinsey, D-Philadelphia; Mark Painter, D-Montgomery; Steven McCarter, D-Montgomery; Kevin Schreiber. D-York; Matthew Bradford, D-Montgomery; Pamela DeLissio, D-Montgomery; Tina Davis, D-Bucks; and Sen. Larry Farnese, D-Philadelphia.

Adrian Shanker, a local LGBT activist, said he was excited to see so many legislators taking to social media in support of gay rights legislation. A lot of education is needed to explain the bills that have been proposed. Like education, it's a broad issue with many different moving parts, he said.

"That's very empowering when legislators make themselves accessible," Shanker said. "Hopefully this forum will provide some much-needed momentum to help legislators build the coalitions they need to get these bills on the floor and out of the House."

Credit: By Emily Opilo Of The Morning Call

Credit: By Emily Opilo Of The Morning Call

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.Abstract (Document Summary)

For several years, bills have been proposed on both sides of the issue, some to legalize gay marriage, others to define marriage as a union between a man and woman.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.