Doylestown Bans Discrimination Against Gays

New law only 17th in the Commonwealth, officials hope it'll spark a statewide ban

A landmark vote in one Bucks County town bans discrimination against gays and lesbians.

A crowd of more than 100 people showed up to the Doylestown Borough council meeting Monday night to witness the historic vote.

The unanimous decision by the nine-member council now makes it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation and sexual identity or expression.

The new law affects employment, housing and public services in Doylestown Borough. It also creates a Human Relations Commission that will investigate cases of discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

"It was legal for someone to dislike a person because of their sexual orientation and kick them out of his restaurant. It was legal for someone to be discharged by their employer in Doylestown because of their sexual orientation. That's changing," borough council member Don Berk said.

Some residents expressed concerns over how much it would cost to enforce the new law, but the ordinance received overwhelming approval and support in the community.

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