PA State Rep. Brian Sims Announces Bipartisan LGBT Protections Bill Dubbed ‘Nondiscrimination 2.0’

Fresh off of his internet-breaking shark week adventures last month, Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims has announced plans to reintroduce a bill to extend LGBT non-discrimination protections to the commonwealth.

Sims has referred to the bill as “Nondiscrimination 2.0,” although it’s actual title remains unclear.

PennLive.com reports:

“We’ve essentially been trying to introduce the exact same bill for the last 10 years, and times have changed. They’ve changed in the commonwealth, and they’ve changed nationally. And the law that we are introducing needed to be changed,” Sims said.

The new comprehensive nondiscrimination legislation is supported by both Repubicans and Democrats, he said.

But it’s still not enough, Sims said.

“We live in a state where reparative therapy, where conversion therapy, is still legal. There are places all across the commonwealth where, right now, you can try to pray the gay away,” he said.

In the wake of last year gay bashing in Philadelphia, Sims led the effort to try to get the state to amend its hate crimes statues to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity (remember this fiery speech?). Sadly, the proposal never made it out of committee.

31 states lack fully inclusive non-discrimination protections.