[UPDATE, 11 Mar 2020:
“Newtown Township Supervisors Unanimously Pass Revised Love is Love Resolution”]
The document drafted by supervisor John Mack was modeled after one pushed by two area state legislators that failed to reach the floor in Harrisburg.
A resolution about love considered by many to be non-controversial was apparently just controversial enough to get voted down by the Newtown Township supervisors.
The document that would have established Feb. 15 as “love is love day” in the township failed 3-2 at a recent [February 26, 2020] meeting. Supervisors Chairman Phil Calabro joined colleagues Kyle Davis and David Oxley in voting no as all three said they felt the document was exclusionary.
John Mack, who drafted the resolution, joined Dennis Fisher in voting yes. Mack modeled the resolution after one pushed by state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, D-10, Lower Makefield and state Rep. Wendy Ullman, D-143, Plumstead, that failed to reach the floor in Harrisburg.
The document is geared to the LGBTQ+ community. It states: “Accepting the LGBTQ+ youth in our communities and in society at large helps remind those who we care about that love is love regardless of how they identify.”
While not having any criticism for the LGBTQ+ community, the three dissenting supervisors all said they preferred something which in essence said that all groups are deserving of love and should be treated with respect every day of the year.
“I support the notion,” Davis said. “I’m just not fond of the idea of a specific day for a specific group. That’s exclusionary.”
Oxley added, “There are a lot of people out there who also suffer from loneliness and depression in addition to the ones we’re talking about.
[R]esident, Joseph O’Neill, disagreed.
“This resolution simply shows the LGBTQ community we embrace them for who they are so they can grow to be happy adults,” he said.
“Just generally saying every day is love day doesn’t focus attention on this issue in the way it deserves,” Mack said. “It would dilute this and take away from its special focus.”
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