COLUMBUS – Equality Ohio Executive Director Dwayne Steward has issued the following statement regarding the Trans Day of Remembrance, which was established in 1999 after the deaths of Black trans […]
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Contact: MD Sitzes, Communications Manager, Equality Ohio media@equalityohio.org, md@equalityohio.org Columbus, Ohio — August 6, 2024 Today, the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas ruled in favor of allowing House Bill […]
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Equality Ohio and Ohio Health Modernization Movement Release Groundbreaking Report: Over 200 Ohioans Criminalized for HIV FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 28th, 2024 Media Contact: MD Sitzes, Communications Manager, Equality Ohio, […]
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2023 is the starting point for Ohio’s 2-year long General Assembly (or State Legislature). This is the period of time during which bills can be introduced, and during which bills can die.
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Equality Ohio is disappointed in the outcome of the recent Shawnee State lawsuit, and we affirm that all transgender and non-binary students, staff and faculty deserve a safe, respectful environment […]
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As our community started to come out of 18 months of quarantine and COVID-19 restrictions and celebrated Pride Month, Equality Ohio’s advocacy team was working hard at the Statehouse to defend against some of the most aggressive attacks on LGBTQ+ Ohioans we’ve seen. All in all, with your help, we were able to stop one of the two attacks. The second—a provision allowing medical providers to refuse services they deem to be in violation of their beliefs—was snuck into the state’s budget bill and ultimately signed into law. Now, we are focusing on mitigating the harm that our community experiences as a result of the provision’s passage while pursuing all options possible to overturn it.
Read MoreToday, we submitted testimony on SB182, which will reform Ohio’s unjust system of cash bail. The current system has left countless individuals stuck in jail for years, even before their trial, not because of anything they did, but because they couldn’t afford to pay the bail set by the courts. Because these long pre-trial detentions are based on the inability to pay, people of color and LGBTQ+ people disproportionately experience the dangerous knock-on effects of Ohio’s cash bail system. SB182 and companion legislation in the House, HB315, are important steps as we seek to create a more equitable and just legal system in Ohio.
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This weekend, I’m celebrating my first Mother’s Day. As I do so, I can’t help but to think of all the mama figures in our lives — and how 3 […]
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Equality Ohio is excited to announce our Save-the-Dates for your 2021 calendars.
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We pause once again, this time to honor the lives of Daunte Wright and Miles Jackson, two young Black men whose lives faced too many unnecessary risks. We grieve the […]
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As Ohioans, we must continue the ongoing work to be truly anti-racist. Across party lines, leaders and communities alike are calling for an end to White Supremacy. Its destructive path has no place in public office or civic duty…
Read MoreThis morning, a bipartisan, bicameral group of Ohio legislators announced that they are reintroducing the Ohio Fairness Act at the Ohio Statehouse, joined by faith leaders, community advocates, and over 1,000 businesses across the state demanding we protect LGBTQ+ Ohioans from discrimination.
Read MoreThe 134th General Assembly is only a month old, and extreme anti-LGBTQ+ lawmakers have already begun their attacks on transgender youth. This morning, Representatives Jena Powell and Reggie Stoltzfus reintroduced their blanket ban on transgender athletes in high school and college sports. In the face of an ongoing pandemic and calls for meaningful criminal justice reform, Reps. Powell (R-Arcanum) and Stoltzfus (R-Paris Township) wasted no time in bringing back this incredibly dangerous and discriminatory bill.
Read MoreToday, members of the Ohio Senate, led by Senators Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Tina Maharath (D-Canal Winchester), introduced SB 50, which would prohibit the fraudulent and dangerous practice of attempting to change a young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, sometimes called “conversion therapy” or “reparative therapy”.
Read MoreWe, like so many, are in shock at the terrorist attacks of the past twenty-four hours that sought to undermine our democracy.
Read More Last week, the Queer Partnership for Black Liberation, a group of Black LGBTQ+ leaders in Columbus sent a letter to Columbus Mayor, Andrew Ginther in response to the murder of Andre Hill by Columbus Division of Police officer, Adam Coy.
Read More For years, LGBTQ+ people have been involuntary victims of various political conflicts, and unfortunately, the Ohio Fairness Act suffered that same fate this General Assembly. Despite knowing that they had the support they needed to pass the Ohio Fairness Act, these leaders let politics prevent the Legislature from doing what is right for Ohio in Lame Duck.
Read MoreToday, the Ohio House Primary & Secondary Education Committee held a sponsor testimony hearing on HB527, which seeks to ban transgender athletes from high school and college athletics. The bill, sponsored by Representatives Jane Powell and Reggie Stoltzfus, is one of the most extreme legislative attacks on transgender Ohioans that we have seen. Today, those Representatives were given an opportunity to share their anti-transgender rhetoric with the committee and the state.
Read MoreOne week after one of the most important presidential elections of our lifetimes, we have a clear winner. Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris are now President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris.
Read MoreWe made it. Voting in the 2020 Election has finally concluded, and Ohioans’ voices have been heard. There’s a lot to talk about and a lot we still don’t know yet, but Equality Ohio’s policy team has been up with you through the past 48 hours to help figure out just what happened and how it will impact LGBTQ+ Ohioans.
As a reminder, Equality Ohio is a non-partisan organization that does not endorse candidates or parties. We do have an Elected Official Scorecard that graded candidates for President and Vice President, as well as incumbent members of the Ohio Legislature. We’ll use those grades a lot in this analysis.
Read MoreEquality Ohio stands firmly in solidarity with those demanding police accountability in Columbus and urges a Yes vote on Issue 2 as part of the ongoing dialogue and process to increase police accountability.
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Right now, as people are facing job loss and evictions due to COVID-19, it is more important than ever to ensure that those experiencing homelessness have access to shelters and other services. The last thing we should be doing is taking those resources away.
Read MoreDue to the coronavirus pandemic, many of us have been paying more attention than usual to our physical health over these past few weeks which is incredibly important. However, while […]
Read MoreIn our latest legal clinic vlog, our Southwest attorney, Emily Meyer discusses various aspects to the Victim of Crime compensation program in the state of Ohio. What is the Victims […]
Read MoreAs a result of the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of our fellow Ohioans are unemployed. For queer people who have been involved with the criminal justice system, it may be […]
Read MoreDid you contact your local Board of Elections for an absentee ballot for the primary? It may have arrived already! If you have not requested a ballot, you have until […]
Read MoreOhio Governor Mike Dewine and Dr. Amy Acton recently extended his stay-at-home order for the state of Ohio due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This order has resulted in the temporary […]
Read MoreCOVID-19 has brought dramatic changes to our lives and our government. One of the major impacts the pandemic has had here in Ohio is on our primary election. Scheduled for […]
Read More????Yesterday––March 30––Idaho’s Governor signed into law two bills that target trans people and take away essential civil liberties like playing sports and accessing a correct birth certificate. Some Ohio legislators […]
Read MoreThe Ohio Legislature acted the Ohio’s primary election amid coronavirus disruption. Here’s what you need to know about completing your Ohio primary vote. ♿️If you need to vote in-person because […]
Read MoreLast week, 30 members of the Ohio House of Representatives introduced a bill to officially designate October 11th as Coming Out Day. This bill is an exciting opportunity for the […]
Read MoreWe are excited to welcome Emily Meyer and Andy Dugan to the Equality Ohio family as Staff Attorneys for the new Equality Ohio Legal Clinic. Emily and Andy will traveling […]
Read MoreTuesday’s election results brought a flood of emotions for LGBTQ people and their allies across the country. We’ve taken the last few days to process, analyze, and strategize. Our conclusion: […]
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The Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) is tasked with responding to and resolving complaints of discrimination. People submit complaints for a variety of different types of discrimination, such as race, […]
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