Reading Time: 4 minutes
In March of this year, in Pennsylvania, HB300, also known as “The Fairness Act,” was hotly contested and ultimately tabled, then later removed from the table due to what we believe was a significant outcry against it—both in the spiritual dimension through prayer, and in the natural through constituents making their voices heard. Later, it was recommitted to the Appropriations Committee, with discussions of potential reconsideration.
Who is praying on the wall?
This is not the first attempt to pass this legislation in Pennsylvania. In 2023, it passed through the House, but then sat in the State Government Committee, where it remained as pending legislation throughout 2024.
The “Fairness Act” is anything but fair. It would fundamentally change Pennsylvania’s Human Relations Act by making “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” protected classes. Because it has broad application related to public accommodations, the impacts would be far-reaching. It would likely affect public places such as businesses, health care providers, schools, ministries, swimming pools, recreational facilities, and other shared public spaces throughout the Commonwealth.
In fact, where many school boards have passed policies protecting female sports and spaces, these very policies could be rendered null and void if this legislation were to become law. It would supersede any moral, religious, or personal convictions one holds dear and force a radical gender ideology and sexual orientation agenda onto everyone in public spaces, violating individuals’ First Amendment rights under the Constitution.
An example of this could be educators, health care practitioners, ministers, and others being compelled to use someone’s preferred pronouns or preferred name, in violation of their deeply held beliefs. Consider the case of Peter Vlaming, a teacher in Virginia who was fired from his job for refusing to use a student’s preferred pronouns. The student had gender dysphoria, and Vlaming attempted to accommodate the student by avoiding the use of pronouns altogether. Despite this effort, he was terminated—discriminated against—because of his faith and his conviction to live according to godly principles of biology.
It appears that because HB300 was so widely contested, Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) amended HB 2103 to include the language of the so-called “Fairness Act” (HB300). HB2103 includes language that would make “white-only housing” illegal, which sounds right and honorable on its surface. However, with the controversial provisions of HB300 woven into it, it becomes a bill that, in good conscience, cannot be supported. This is a prime example of what is often described as a “bait and switch.”
Proponents of this bill argue that because terms like “freedom of religion,” sports, or physicians do not explicitly appear in the text, those areas are not of concern and are not relevant to the legislation. This framing attempts to persuade the public that, because these specific terms are absent, the bill would not apply to moral or religious expression within the Commonwealth.
However, the term “public accommodation” appears eight times in HB 2103, highlighting the sweeping reach this bill could have on the people of Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, public accommodations include swimming pools, gymnasiums, primary and secondary schools, high schools, academies, colleges, and universities. This definition also extends to courts, stadiums, and even locker rooms. In the context of sports, it would include any place where female athletes train, compete, and gather.
HB 2103 was originally intended to block the creation of “whites-only housing” communities. However, with the addition of gender identity and sexual orientation language, it passed in the House by a narrow vote of 101–100. Not one Republican voted in favor of the newly amended bill, citing concerns over the broader implications introduced through the inclusion of language from HB300, as outlined above.
What if you did not realize this was the case? On the surface, it appears as though no Republican voted for the blockage of the creation of white nationalist communities, which would lead one to believe the ongoing and repeated lies about conservatives and/or Republicans surrounding race. This is no accident. Just consider for a moment the upcoming mid-term elections, and how this makes Republicans look.
Social media is booming with these baseless and false accusations in what appears to be an attempt to sway voters away from voting for Republicans. The forever loser is hard at work deceiving and misleading individuals. Let’s be bold and correct the lies in any way that we can. Have those tough conversations and present folks with the facts.
Let us pray that the Pennsylvania Senate does not take up this radical and far-reaching bill that is in direct violation of our First Amendment rights under the Constitution. Sadly, there are several other states that have passed legislation very similar to HB300. If you live in Pennsylvania, be sure to contact your senator and let them know you are against HB2103 because of the gender ideology and sexual orientation jargon that has now been added to it.
IFA is about the business of prayer, news, and action. Let us join together to see this bill die in the Senate in the spiritual and natural realms. Let us pray and believe for radical transformation, for the attack of the enemy to boomerang back on the enemy camp.
How are you praying about HB2103? Share your thoughts, prayers, and scriptures below.
(Photo Credit: paulbrady via Canva Teams)
