BREAKING: Brian Sims to Introduce Pennsylvania Marriage Equality Bill in House

A day after the Supreme Court's landmark decision to strike down DOMA, Philly State Rep. Brian Sims announces plans to hitch PA to the marriage-equality bandwagon.

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Wow. A mere 24 hours after yesterday’s landmark SCOTUS decision, state representatives Brian Sims and Steve McCarter announce they’re keeping the ball rolling by introducing a bill in the state House of Representatives that will “provide civil marriage equality in Pennsylvania.”

In a press release, Sims, the lead sponsor of the bill, says, “After Wednesday’s decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court, it is past time for Pennsylvania to join the 12 states – soon to be 13 because of California – and the District of Columbia that already provide this basic measure of equality and dignity to their residents. LGBT Pennsylvanians are seeing their neighbors in New York, Maryland and Delaware, among other states, now qualify for the approximately 1,000 federal rights and benefits that come with civil marriage and they are increasingly asking why they don’t have those same rights, as well as the state rights and benefits. Marriage equality has steadily grown, now standing at majority support in recent Pennsylvania polls. I believe that more and more legislators from both parties will decide to be on the right side of history.”

The press release states that the bill, like a similar one introduced by State Senator Daylin Leach, would provide “protections for religious organizations and entities that do not wish to sanction, perform or in any way recognize same-sex civil marriages.”

Huge news! Stay tuned to G Philly for updates.