100 Pennsylvania Lawmakers Introduce Sweeping LGBT Nondiscrimination Bills: VIDEO

A group of 100 Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced two bills yesterday in Harrisburg that would offer sweeping protections to LGBT citizens across the state.

PGH City Paper reports:

A broad group of state lawmakers today introduced bills HB 300/SB300, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression statewide in employment, housing, credit and public accommodations. And they cited a record high level of support for the measures.

"These identical proposals have a common goal — to end, once and for all, the last vestige of legal discrimination in Pennsylvania based on an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression," said state Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Squirrel Hill), a co-sponsor of HB300 with Republican state Rep. Chris Ross, and sponsor of the bill in previous years.

Frankel noted that its the first time the bills have had such broad, bipartisan support, with 77 sponsors in the House and 25 in the Senate.

Pennsylvania's first openly gay elected lawmaker Brian Sims (pictured) was at the introduction, Newsworks reports. Said Sims:

"On days like today — with the type of equality advocates, activists and warriors that I am joined by on stage — we show once again that the American spirit, the American dream and, most importantly, the American values demand that we as a commonwealth finally evolve."

Watch Sims speak about protecting the rights of all citizens, AFTER THE JUMP...

Brian Sims Talks Gay Rights Movement With Chris Matthews

On his program this week, Chris Matthews discussed the recent swift rise of the LGBT civil rights movement with MSNBC contributor Joy Reid and openly gay Pennsylvania Representative Brian Sims.  civil rights - acceptance in african american community

In this segment, Reid explains the progressive shift of opinion in the African-American community and Sims talks about how he felt the authenticity and honesty he offered about his identity helped him win his seat in office last year.

Watch the clip, in which Matthews suggests that Sims might one day be governor of his state, AFTER THE JUMP.

Gay PA House Candidate Brian Sims Sounds Off on Coming Out, Marriage Equality, Mitt Romney: VIDEO

Gay Pennsylvania House of Representatives candidate Brian Sims talks to Current's John Fugelsang about coming out while an All-American college football player, DADT repeal, homophobia in the Democratic Party, and about the Republican and Romney positions on same-sex marriage:

"My guess is that behind closed doors, Mitt Romney would tell you that he's had gay friends, gay family, gay co-workers, and we all know that he has. And my guess is that he probably treated them with the utmost respect. But the fact that he in order to receive the nomination of the Republican party feels like he needs to stray so far from what is common sense for most Americans speaks more to the party maybe than it does to Mitt Romney."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Brian Sims to Become Pennsylvania's First Out Gay State Lawmaker After Primary Victory

Brian Sims has won his primary in Pennsylvania and will be the state's first openly gay lawmaker, facing no Republican opposition in a heavily Democratic district.

The Victory Fund reports:

Sims defeated a longtime incumbent to capture the Democratic nomination in the heavily Democratic District 182, and will face no Republican opponent this November.

“Tonight we’re celebrating a historic victory for Pennsylvania and for Brian,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, which endorsed Sims.  ”LGBT Pennsylvanians will finally have a voice in their state legislature, and what a strong and unyielding voice it will be.  We are thrilled for Brian, who ran a remarkable campaign.”

Sims, a former member of the Victory Campaign Board, is a distinguished policy attorney and civil rights advocate from Center City Philadelphia. The former Staff Counsel for Policy and Planning at the Philadelphia Bar Association, he recently stepped down as the President of the Board of Directors of Equality Pennsylvania.

In Spring 2009, Outsports first made us aware of Sims in a story they published about Sims coming out to his football team and subsequently leading them to a Division II National Championship game. He is still the only former NCAA football captain to have ever come out.

Congrats Brian!