Pennsylvania Republicans showed their true colors, just in time for Pride Month, by voting down an attempt to “remove homosexuality from the state’s obscenity statute,” according to LGBTQNation. The memo attached to the appeal noted that “current state laws still prohibits the distribution to minors of materials such as books, pictures, and videos which depict “acts of homosexuality.”
Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Zabel sponsored the bill that was voted down in a Republican-controlled chamber. Joining him in calling out the Republicans was Rep. Malcoln Kenyatta who tweeted out, “Put simply the PA GOP is fine with homosexuality being considered a crime.” And out state Rep. Brian Sims tweeted, “May you never have to see your colleagues vote to keep the ways you love a ‘crime.'”
You can’t make this stuff up…
PA House Republicans TWICE voted down an amendment by my colleague & friend @MikeZabel to remove homosexuality from the criminal obscenity statue.
Put simply the PA GOP is fine with homosexuality being considered a crime. pic.twitter.com/sdTVNBtuSy
— Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (@malcolmkenyatta) May 24, 2021
This decision by the Republicans is one of cowardice. It’s a regressive power move meant to show the Republican caucus that they see homosexuality as something wrong, and it sickens me to my core that homosexuality is listed together with “sexual bestiality” in the Title 18 statute on obscenity.
And even though some are calling it a “symbolic” move, not only is it symbolic of hate, but the matter of the fact is that someone will use this statute as a means of not displaying, selling, distributing, or exhibiting materials that contain homosexuality. This statute is tailor-made for homophobes in 2021 who want to “protect” the youth from what they deem immoral and wrong.
Ultimately, this is all a garbage move by Republicans meant to crush the writing, printing, publishing, and sharing of homosexual content. It’s meant to separate LGBTQ content from the mainstream and dub it “obscene” instead of normal. And the internet ain’t having it.
You can’t make this stuff up…
PA House Republicans TWICE voted down an amendment by my colleague & friend @MikeZabel to remove homosexuality from the criminal obscenity statue.
Put simply the PA GOP is fine with homosexuality being considered a crime. pic.twitter.com/sdTVNBtuSy
— Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (@malcolmkenyatta) May 24, 2021
So, keep at it, homophobic Republicans. Pennsylvania Democrats aren’t going to sit back and let you keep this archaic law. They will fight for the future of the LGBTQ community in this state and obliterate homophobic statutes like this. Plus, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is fully up for reelection every two years, with the next in 2022.
It’s ample time to take control back and show those Republicans what a real democracy, which works for the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness for all, really looks like.
Compounding the rampant homophobia of the Republican caucus with this type of aggressive cowardice is so painfully on brand. May you never have to see your colleagues vote to keep the ways you love a “crime.”
— Brian Sims (@BrianSimsPA) May 24, 2021
A shameful day in Harrisburg. @RepZabel and I introduced legislation to remove homosexuality from the state’s obscenity statue, after Upper Darby did the same locally.
This is an issue of basic equality. We won’t give up this fight. https://t.co/MCX32NSZTx
— Senator Tim Kearney (@SenTimKearney) May 24, 2021
@PAGOP sending a mesage loud & clear
Homosexuality is an obscenity to Pennsylvania Republicans
Vote for them accordingly. Homophobia has no place in the halls of Congress nor in state legislatures.
It’s 2021. Get with it you hating, God-loving hypocrites. 🤢
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈💙❤️ https://t.co/0gaKnTaLOB
— Javi 4 ALL OF US 💪🏽 (@Javi4Progress) May 25, 2021
Every single fucking GOP house representative in PA voted to keep “homosexuality” in the criminal obscenity laws. This was a symbolic change in the wording, nothing more. What is truly obscene is the rampant homophobia in the GOP representatives. 😠 #PAHouse
— Jeffrey Lund (@flippinflippity) May 25, 2021
Phucking repulsive PA GOP @PAGOP . PA gays have never stooped to your level of obscenity. Nor would they. https://t.co/5GlPk1SgqW
— David Albert Farmer PhD (@df42836213) May 25, 2021
Republicans voted to keep the term “homosexuality” in the PA Obscenity Law. It’s used to define “sexual conduct” as an obscenity and a crime. Right next to terms like masturbation & beastiality. Hetero obscenity is OK then? 💩y to see my sexual orientation next to beastiality. https://t.co/AOej7ShZjv
— Ominous Crescendo (@DJFrankTerryPHX) May 24, 2021
(image: Jessica Kourkounis/Getty)
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