Democratic lawmakers in Pennsylvania are livid that Republicans voted down an attempt to remove homosexuality from the state’s obscenity statute.
The law bans “the distribution to minors of materials such as books, pictures, and videos which depict ‘acts of homosexuality,'” according to the memo attached to H.B. 1279, which would remove homosexuality from the state’s obscenity law.
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The bill, sponsored by Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Zabel (D), was voted down yesterday in the state House. Democrats in the Republican-controlled chamber are speaking out, denouncing their Republicans who voted to keep homosexuality on the obscenity law.
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“Put simply the PA GOP is fine with homosexuality being considered a crime,” tweeted out Pennsylvania Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D).
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 shouldn’t have been remotely controversial,” said Zabel. “I’m sorry we didn’t get it through, but we won’t stop trying.”
This shouldn’t have been remotely controversial. I’m sorry we didn’t get it through, but we won’t stop trying. https://t.co/wsTYzJa1s2
— Mike Zabel (@MikeZabel) May 24, 2021
Out state Rep. Brian Sims (D) called out his Republican colleagues for using procedural means to kill the bill and blamed their “rampant homophobia” for keeping homosexuality in the state’s obscenity law.
“May you never have to see your colleagues vote to keep the ways you love a ‘crime,'” he tweeted.
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
If your Rep is a Republican, they voted to keep homosexuality in the Crimes Code as obscenity. If they’re a Democrat, they voted to remove it.
— Brian Sims (@BrianSimsPA) May 24, 2021
“This is an issue of basic equality. We won’t give up this fight,” said Pennsylvania Sen. Tim Kearney (D).
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
Zabel said that he was inspired to repeal the anti-gay law when a town in his district did the same.
“Recently, one of the municipalities I represent, Upper Darby Township, repealed a similar decades-old ordinance and, upon further review, it was discovered that Pennsylvania has such a statue still on the books,” he said. Twenty-three of his colleagues co-sponsored the bill.
