Marriage equality for same-sex couples is a hot topic on many media outlets right now. Such visible media coverage has benefited the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by bringing non-LGBT individuals into the debate concerning LGBT rights. However, marriage equality is only one of many legal issues affecting the LGBT community. There are other legal issues that do not attract as much media attention but affect a large number of LGBT individuals. The current struggle for legal equality for LGBT Pennsylvanians is somewhat different from the picture of the LGBT rights movement often portrayed in the media.
Advocates for LGBT rights sometimes speak of a hierarchy of needs when discussing the legal protections for which they strive. First and foremost, an individual must be assured that he or she cannot be killed, or otherwise physically harmed, because of his or her LGBT status. Second, the individual must be assured that he or she cannot be denied employment, housing, public benefits or the ability to patronize private businesses because of LGBT status. Finally, after these rights have been acquired, advocates would seek the same legal protections for same-sex couples as exist for opposite-sex couples.
