UPDATE 2: Cheltenham Passes Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

Last night, the Cheltenham Board of Commissioners approved an anti-discrimination ordinance by a vote of 6-1.

The township calls the policy the “Cheltenham Township Human Relations Ordinance.” 

The ordinance provides: “for the creation of the Cheltenham Township Human Relations Commission, and to prohibit discrimination in housing, accommodations, commercial property, employment and public accommodations on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, age, religious creed, ancestry, sex, national origin, handicap or disability, use of guide or support animals … or because of an individual’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression …”

The commission will comprise nine members, each of whom will serve three years in staggered terms … and will not be paid. No member of the commission shall hold office in any political party.

The ordinance also lists exceptions for religious organizations. 

To read the whole ordinance, click here, or check out the pdf section above. (It starts on page 23.)

Elkins Park resident and Cheltenham Human Relations Committee member Herschel Elias said after the meeting that there was little opposition from the audience regarding the ordinance; Elias said the number of those in support of the ordinance outnumbered those against by a margin of about 3:1.

“Most people supported the ordinance,” Elias said, standing in the lobby of Curtis Hall after the meeting. “There are always people who say, ‘Something like this isn’t necessary,’ but if nothing will happen if it passes, why not do it?”

Cheltenham Commissioner Charles McKeown cast the sole “no” vote.  According to Cheltenham Board of Commissioners Vice President Harvey Portner, McKeown’s "no” vote was “predicated upon religious beliefs.” 

According to Abington Township Manager Michael LeFevre, Cheltenham’s ordinance incorporates elements of Lower Merion’s anti-discrimination ordinance.

Abington has been mulling over an anti-discrimination ordinance for the past year or so.

For the most recent story on that,

The Cheltenham ordinance caught the eye of the Philadelphia Metro Taskforce group. In a Feb. 13 email to Abington Patch, a representative from the group asked people to come to the meeting to express opposition.

"If citizens do not oppose this constitution-breaking ordinance the Commissioners will likely follow the easiest path and rubber stamp it," the email said.  

Elias said he did not see an organized group in attendance against the ordinance. 

Before the meeting, Portner said the commissioners had not received any opposition from the community regarding the ordinance; he called the then-proposed ordinance "common sense."

“We’re finally going to get it through, and it should have been through years ago," Portner said. 

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