Penn State Hershey Med

A ribbon cutting is held to dedicate the new Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The six-floor $207 million hospital will formally open in mid-January. 11/13/2012 DAN GLEITER, The Patriot-News

(DAN GLEITER, THE PATRIOT-NEWS)

By Harjit Singh

The word "community" is defined as "a group of people with a common background or with shared interests within society."

At Penn State Hershey Medical Center, community is the center of our work. And in our community our shared interest is healing.

Our goal is to bring the best and brightest healers to our community to ensure that all of our patients and their families get the best care possible.

In order to do that we want to be able to recruit anyone and everyone who has the talent, the drive, and the skills to do their jobs well – including people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.

However, though it's hard to believe, right now under state and federal law, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are not protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

And while Penn State Hershey Medical Center has a policy against that type of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, we understand why a professional might not feel comfortable bringing their family to Pennsylvania if they know they could be discriminated against just because of who they are.

We know that most people believe that discrimination is wrong and want to do the right thing, but it is reasonable to have laws to protect people when that good judgment breaks down.

It is also reasonable for people to have the peace of mind of knowing that if they experience any unfair discrimination, state law would be on their side.

For that reason we believe that it is time to end legal discrimination in Pennsylvania. We should update our laws so that all people – including people who are gay and transgender – are treated fairly.

We believe that a welcoming state for all people and their families is the kind of place that attracts the best and brightest from around the nation to our institutions and businesses.

Every Pennsylvanian should have the opportunity to work hard, pay their dues, contribute to society, and provide for themselves and their families. That means putting food on the table, paying our bills, and ensuring that we can put a roof over our children's heads.

No hardworking person should have to live in fear that they can be fired, evicted, or turned away from a business for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance or ability to pay for rent or services rendered.

By protecting people from discrimination, we can help level the playing field for all people who work hard, take responsibility for their own lives, and do their part to help our economy grow.

As teachers, care-givers, and researchers, service defines us at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. It is more than a commitment we make to our community - it is part of our nature.

Our ethic of service calls us to improve the quality of life for all people, locally, regionally, and nationally.

And eliminating unfair discrimination improves everyone's quality of life.

Harjit Singh is the Associate Dean for Diversity and professor of Radiology, Surgery and Medicine Penn State College of Medicine and the Penn State Hershey Medical Center.