Councilwoman wants city contractors to offer equal benefits

Philadelphia City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown wants same sex couples to be treated equally.

Last week, Reynolds-Brown introduced a bill calling for equal benefits for same-sex partners. Contractors accepting service contracts from the city of $250,000 or more must extend the same benefits to life partners of its employees that are given to spouses of married employees.

“Fundamentally, I am of the belief that sex, like gender, like sexual orientation, should not be an impediment to anything,” said Reynolds Brown. “And it’s not anything new. In fact, former Mayor Ed Rendell started this in 1996 when he was successful in signing the Life Partners Legislation.”

Reynolds-Brown says contractors who fail to comply with the ordinance could be barred from future contracting opportunities with the city for up to three years.