Wagner Doubles Down On Open Ladies Rooms

Wagner Doubles Down On Open Ladies Rooms — An email has been forwarded to us from Pennsylvania State Sen. Scott Wagner (R-28) in which he doubles down in support of legislation which most feel will mandate opening traditional private places for females in schools and businesses to males claiming to be women.

The bill is SB 974 i.e. The Pennsylvania Fairness Act, which has remained stuck — hopefully permanently — in The State Government committee since being introduced Sept. 8.

Sister legislation HB 1510 remains similarly and thankfully entangled in the House.

Wagner in his missive correctly notes that the bills were introduced before the open ladies room controversy happened and insists it won’t change anything with regard to state law.

That’s naive. Just because Wagner couldn’t see what was coming doesn’t mean the powerful interests who lobbied for the bill didn’t. And how, exactly, does a bill “prohibiting discrimination against LGBT individuals as it relates to . . . public accommodations” exempt public restrooms?

And school locker rooms?

Sports teams?

Most troubling, though, is that Wagner, who has generally championed the needs of business, supported SB 974 knowing full-well it expanded “protected classes“.

Being in a protected class does not help one find employment. Just consider the employment rates for those in a “protected class” verses those who aren’t.

This is not due to bigotry. This is due to self preservation. A small business-owner will bend over backwards to avoid hiring a person from a “protected class” because it is exponentially harder to fire one in that class if that person turns out to be a bad employee.

Now, if one has a company that has grown big enough to have its own HR department fully able to keep up with the latest in employment law and do the appropriate record keeping of employee failings some of the risk is mitigated but if one is part of a three-man LLC and has to do the hiring and firing face to face along with a thousand other things, this is the type of government interference that causes ulcers.

As someone who has run a business and who has hired gays knowing full well they were gay  — really, Scott where do you think gays are more inclined to seek employment, journalism/advertising or trash collection? — employee sex lives are not an issue for the vast majority of business owners. Show up on time and meet deadlines. Everyone is happy. Special protection does not help anybody yet probably hurts everyone.

Wagner Doubles Down On Open Ladies Rooms
Senator Special Snowflake?

And one more thing Senator. The “special snowflake” stuff does not become you. If you think you are being “bullied” or “intimidated” when angry constituents contact you, you probably should stick to trash collection.

Here is Sen. Wagner’s email:

Over the past several months, my office has received hundreds of phone calls and emails regarding my co-sponsorship of SB 974, The Pennsylvania Fairness Act. This legislation would add sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, effectively prohibiting discrimination against LGBT individuals as it relates to employment, housing, and public accommodations.
I have been asked to remove my name as a co-sponsor of SB 974 because of recent events in the news related to how bathrooms are dealt with in other states, as well as President Obama’s recent directive regarding schools and Title IX funding.

Let me be very clear – I will not be removing my name from this legislation. Allow me to explain why.

As an employer and a Pennsylvanian, I believe that everyone should be treated fairly and with dignity.

As an employer, I do not care what your sexual preference is as long as you perform at or beyond the required expectations of your job. The fact remains that without this legislation there are a group of citizens that can legally be fired or overlooked because of their sexual orientation instead of their job performance. This is a step in the right direction to ensure workers are not being discriminated against.

This is why I put my name on this legislation, and this is what I will continue to work toward. The fact that attempts have been made to intimidate me and other supporters of SB 974 to try to get us to remove our co-sponsorships of this legislation and are trying to change the conversation to make it about men in women’s bathrooms should not deter us from our goal.

Cities all across Pennsylvania have had ordinances similar to SB 974 for well over 20 years without a single issue as it relates to bathrooms. From a very practical perspective, SB 974 changes absolutely nothing about the way that bathrooms are dealt with, in spite of claims to the contrary that are full of legalese and references to court decisions from states with laws that are very different from Pennsylvania’s.

I believe that it is critical that we find a way to treat LGBT people with the dignity and fairness that they deserve – that we all deserve. I am equally committed to work with concerned groups to find ways to improve the legislation. If there are valid concerns related to individuals with deeply held religious convictions, we should work to fix them. If there are real, concrete concerns with the way that bathrooms will be handled, we should listen.

What we should not do, however, is completely abandon all efforts to gain fairness for the LGBT community. What we should not do is use fear as a tool to attempt to bully legislators into just giving up on this important issue.

Those of you that know me, know this – I will not be bullied.

I encourage those of you with serious concerns about this legislation to continue to contact me so that we can continue our work on this issue. My staff and I have spent a great deal of time with interest groups on both sides of this issue attempting to find a way to accomplish everyone’s goals, and we will continue to do so.

I know that fellow Pennsylvanians share my commitment to make our great Commonwealth a state that is open and welcoming to everyone, whether that means changing our Human Relations Act or addressing our oppressive tax and regulatory systems.

I appreciate your support, and look forward to continuing the effort to create a better Pennsylvania with everyone.

Wagner Doubles Down On Open Ladies Rooms

 

 

 

3 thoughts on “Wagner Doubles Down On Open Ladies Rooms”

  1. He really needs to back away from this and admit that while bathrooms, etc. were not issues before, they are now. While we all know he prides himself on not giving in to special interests and being immune to bullying, he needs to know that his constituents will not be intimidated by the miniscule percentage of the population that he is catering to. Apparently the LGBT and gay communities, through their lobbyists, have been able to do what he claims nobody can–they have bullied him into submission. I am convinced that when Senator Wagner’s or another self serving, pandering politician’s child is molested in a public bathroom, locker room, dressing room all of this will no longer be an issue. Instead the politicians will denounce the act, do a 360 on their current positions, and naturally blame somebody else for the existence of such bad policy. This bill is an open invitation to pedophiles to prey on the most vulnerable in our society–the children. These politicians should be ashamed of themselves for not having the courage to tell the LGBT and gay communities “no” and articulating common sense reasoning. It would seem that Senator Wagner talks a very good game but when the chips are down, he is as likely to cave as the rest.

  2. As a native Pennsylvanian I agree that people should be treated the same regardless of their race, religion, familial status etal ad nauseam.

    However, when you start passing laws that protect anyone that is a “protected class” all you’re doing is making the people who treat everyone the same more inclined to err on the side of caution when it comes to dealing with people. In other words, why should I go out of my way to help a homosexual couple with something when I might very well get sued by the same people I helped over some perceived “slight”.

    No, take away all this nonsense. I have had people I’ve known for years who are homosexual who preferred to do business with a homosexual like themselves. I’ve had people who wouldn’t do business with me because I wasn’t black. I’ve had asians prefer to work with other asians. Heck, I’ve had people who won’t work with me because I’m not a WOMAN, for crying out loud!!!! Italians, too!!!

    Really, do you think I give a crap? My reputation at what I do is all I need. I will work with ANY one regardless race, religion, sexual preference, etal ad nauseam that’s a personal referral to me. I will jump through hoops to serve their needs at what I do.

    Just stop with all the bulls*** laws!!!!

  3. It is unfathomable that Senator Wagner does not seem to realize that the phrase “public accommodations” in SB 974 means bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, and overnight accommodations (as on school trips with students).

    In his “Dear Friend” letter (published above), Senator Wagner speaks of being bullied by constituents regarding his support of SB 974, but the intimidating behaviors and maneuvers of the powerful LGBT lobby to force passage of bills of this type (and also of LGBT amendments inserted into unrelated federal legislation) are bullying tactics of the highest order! Senator Wagner’s subtle implication that those who oppose SB 974 are guilty of discriminating against the LGBT community unfortunately serves to empower these aggressive LGBT bullies. This is not what one expects from a “conservative” senator who purportedly upholds the Constitution. The belief that the privacy and safety of EVERYONE deserves to be protected should be indisputable; adhering to the tenet that EVERYONE’s rights must be upheld is NOT an indication of unacceptable discrimination!

    I would venture to say that the vast majority of HB 1510/SB 974’s opponents think that trans-individuals should be treated fairly, respectfully, accommodated in a reasonable fashion, and not be discriminated against inappropriately. It is not bigotry that formulates the objections of most of us, but the belief that it is sheer LUNACY to legally force bathrooms, locker rooms, showers and overnight accommodations to be shared by individuals of different biological anatomies, particularly in our schools.

    It is widely reported that Senator Wagner could be considering a run for governor of Pennsylvania in 2018. If he should do so, I believe that the arrogant, supercilious tone and the statements in his “Dear Friend” E-mail WILL, and SHOULD, come back to haunt him. He should be commended for supporting the portion of the bill that states that individuals should not be discriminated against with respect to housing or employment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. That said, his disdainful dismissal of the PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS phrasing of SB 974 indicates that he neglected to adequately study the bill and to consider the multiple detrimental consequences that would result, particularly for our school students, if it were passed into law.

    Virtually no one wants legislators who follow the Pelosi doctrine — passing a bill and then finding out what’s in it. I hope that he, and other PA legislators supporting this bill will listen to the legitimate concerns that so many of us have regarding this bill. I also hope that in the future Senator Wagner will treat concerned constituents with more respect than he demonstrated in his “Dear Friend” E-Mail.

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