Stephen A. Glassman

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Lock Haven University will host a discussion by Stephen A. Glassman, Chairperson of The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and Vice Chairperson of the Governor’s Cabinet on Disability Rights. Sponsored by the LHU President’s Commission on the Status of Women and the Office of Human and Cultural Diversity, the discussion on human rights issues within the state and beyond will take place on Thursday, October 1, at 6 p.m. in the Hall of Flags in Robinson Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Glassman is an accomplished speaker focusing on human rights issues with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity as well as other civil rights causes. He currently serves as chairperson of The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, a position he has held since his 2003 gubernatorial appointment and State Senate confirmation. As such, he is the highest ranking openly gay appointed official in the state. In 2006, was appointed to the additional role as Vice Chairperson of the Governor’s Cabinet on Disability Rights. A 2005 graduate of Harvard University’s JFK School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, Glassman’s advocacy focuses on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender causes as well as civil rights issues of women, ethnic and racial minorities, and people with disabilities. He has made appearances on Martha Stewart, CBS This Morning, and Frasier– all speaking on behalf of civil rights issues.

In addition to his advocacy, Glassman uses his advanced degrees in architecture and art history from Brown and Yale Universities to serve as principal of his firm, Art and Architectural Design, in which he has served for more than 25 years. He has won numerous awards for his residential and commercial design work and has been featured in prominent publications and galleries nationally. He has also served as guest lecturer at conferences, museums, and universities nationwide on the topics of architecture and design.

Prior to his government appointment in Pennsylvania, Glassman served five years as the Civic Design Commissioner in Baltimore, Maryland. A relocation to the Harrisburg area allowed him to serve as president of Common Roads, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth support group and become the founder and co-chair of the Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition.

Glassman’s discussion is sponsored by the President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) and the Office of Human and Cultural Diversity. The Human and Cultural Diversity office addresses concerns of multicultural and minority students, including all ethnic groups as well as international, physically challenged, lesbian/gay/bisexual, and non-traditional groups.

LHU psychology professor Dr. Tara Mitchell, the chair of the PCSW, explains that aim of the commission is to promote an environment that encourages discussion of equality, particularly in regards to the treatment of women. “As Chair of the Human Relations Commission,” continues Mitchell, “Stephen Glassman can provide the Lock Haven University community with a historical, legal, and ethical understanding of the need for equality for all citizens in the Commonwealth and beyond.”