This 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.
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The 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.
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Today, 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 More Today, President Biden issued an Executive Order reversing the Trump administration’s policy banning transgender Americans from openly serving in the U.S. military. We celebrate this renewed reflection of equality as an American value alongside active and veteran members of the transgender community. Allowing qualified transgender Americans to serve openly will make the United States stronger […]
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We, like so many, are in shock at the terrorist attacks of the past twenty-four hours that sought to undermine our democracy.
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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 More Today, 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 More One 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.
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We 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 More Equality 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 More Our 2020 Elected Official Scorecard is ready to help you prepare to vote this November! It grades current members of the Ohio General Assembly, as well as candidates for President and Vice President. Democratic nominees, Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris earned a B and an A, respectively, while both President Donald Trump […]
Read More Today, Representative Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) and 29 of her colleagues introduced HB729, which will permanently designate June as Pride Month in Ohio. Designating Pride Month would be an important first step in ensuring that LGBTQ people are visibly reflected in Ohio law. By introducing this bill, Rep. Galonski and her colleagues are telling LGBTQ Ohioans […]
Read More These are some tangible steps, among others, that we are actively engaging in to live out our values of anti-racism. But I think the important thing to convey to you is this: We understand that being anti-racist is not a “check-list.” It is an everyday practice; a state of mind. We have and are continuing to embed these values into the very fabric of our organization. They include actively using equitable hiring practices; supporting our staff of color in a variety of ways, including taking labor off our Black and POC staff at this emotionally difficult time to support their full selves; ensuring our internal culture recognizes and actively works to not perpetuate the habits of white supremacy; and onboarding staff and Board members to understand, agree to, and exemplify this culture.
Read More Today, the Ohio Senate Committee on Health, Human Services, and Medicaid is holding a second hearing on SCR 14, which will designate racism as a public health crisis. We submitted written testimony in support of the resolution, and you can read it here: Chair Burke, Vice Chair Huffman, Ranking Member Antonio, and distinguished members of […]
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Columbus is one of many cities across Ohio and across the country trying to resolve its ambitions of character with the behavior of its police––on Friday, June 6 2020, Black LGBTQ community leaders in the region sent this letter to the community. But first, below are the names of 155 siblings, children, parents, workers, and […]
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Columbus Urban League is calling for an economic protest for Monday, June 1. Equality Ohio staff are urged to participate as we affirm our solidarity with Columbus Urban League and everybody doing the exhausting work of healing this country. As Nick Bankston, president of Columbus Urban League said: “racism has penetrated every single institution this […]
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This spring has been a stark and stinging reminder that racism, and its strategic objective, white supremacy, is as defining a characteristic of the American experience as those ideals upon which we claim to hold our democracy — justice, equality, liberty.
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Due 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 we’re at home, it is also important to do a quick check-up on our legal health. Equality Ohio Legal Clinic is invested in both the […]
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 of Crime Compensation Program? If you are a certain victim of certain crimes you may be eligible for financial assistance from the state for expenses […]
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 even more difficult now to find a decent job that pays a liveable wage or to secure safe housing. Fortunately, there are legal processes available […]
Read MoreThe 2020 Ohio Primary Election is officially over. Due to complications from the coronavirus, the election originally scheduled for March 17th was moved to an (almost) entirely vote-by-mail system with the deadline to return absentee ballots extended to April 28th. Our team was up late into the night watching results come in, and we wanted […]
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Despite the news and social media rumors, there is no statewide moratorium on rent in Ohio. There are some protections, but they vary widely by area and court––if you would like help with any of these protections you believe you are entitled to, contact us (below). Some good organizations are advocating for options here, but […]
Read MoreI don’t have to tell you that the last several weeks have been difficult. Every day we are posed with new challenges to our routine way of life, and the most recent closure of our local restaurants and bars, along with the general sense of unease that is accompanying COVID-19 can cause us to feel […]
Read More We are keeping our eye on two pending federal lawsuits—one filed in Ohio, the other in Kentucky—involving college professors behaving poorly on matters of gender identity. In each case, the action was filed by a professor facing negative consequences from his employer as a result of his behavior.
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 Saturday (4/24) at noon to do so. What you need to know about completing your Ohio primary vote. ♿️If you need to vote in-person because […]
Read MoreThe LGBTQ+ community is no stranger to adversity. From hateful and deadly homophobic laws, to the Stonewall riots, and throughout the fight for equal rights that continues to this day, our community soldiers on. In the 1980s, when others turned a blind-eye while our siblings’ lives were decimated by the AIDS epidemic, our community rose […]
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Non-violent individuals at risk of harm from COVID-19 should be released. Incarcerated populations should be lowered by releasing pre-trial detainees, administrative detainees, cease arrests for breaking old, outdated laws that criminalize people living with HIV.
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Some transgender Ohioans are experiencing trouble with obtaining unemployment benefits.
Anybody with a legal name change history may experience this challenge. We’ll work with them to fix this, but it will take time and if this problem affects you, you can’t wait. Here’s what you can do right now.
Read More Ohio 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 closure of many Ohio businesses and has left many people with questions about what is and what is not allowed under the order. In particular, […]
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COVID-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 March 17, in-person polling locations were closed via an order from Governor DeWine’s administration on March 16. In a series events fit for The West […]
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????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 have plans of their own, including fining doctors who treat gender-expansive youth, and prohibiting trans girls from playing school sports. Join Us In Stopping This […]
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 of a disability, you can skip these steps and vote in-person at your local county Board of Elections on April 28 only. ???? There will […]
Read More Due to the recent coronavirus pandemic, many businesses in Ohio have been forced to temporarily shut their doors, leading to lost jobs and wages across the state. Our Southwest Ohio attorney, Emily Meyer, discusses Governor Mike DeWine’s expansions to unemployment benefits in our latest legal clinic video, in light of these recent developments. To receive […]
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This is not a replacement for 411 or existing community resource guides in your community. It is highly suggested you look at and support existing local resources. This guide is just collecting new, emerging resources that may be useful at this time. Equality Ohio has not vetted these organizations or offerings––these are provided as-is, but […]
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Ohio has “no-excuse” absentee voting. This means anybody can vote by mail without special circumstances. First, you need to request a ballot with this form (or in Spanish). We encourage you to do this as soon as possible in light of the changing and dynamic circumstances. Once you receive your official ballot, complete it and get it back in the mail as soon as possible. The situation has already changed more than once, and the sooner you get it in, the sooner your vote counts.
Read More The Secretary of State and Ohio’s counties are collaborating to ensure that voting happens on Tuesday even with changes required by the response to the COVID-19 virus. FOLLOW THE LATEST FROM THE OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE Early Voting Is Open Now Until Tuesday Due to the unpredictable events, it may be smart to get your […]
Read More This week, Ohio legislators are again using their bully pulpit to attack transgender Ohioans. This time, they’re going after transgender women and girls who participate in sports. The bill attempts to erase transgender women and girls from high school and college sports. Backers of the bill, including extremist anti-LGBTQ group, Citizens for Community Values, claim […]
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Equality Ohio and the Human Rights Campaign are partnering up to advocate for LGBTQ equality and we need your help! It’s still legal in Ohio to discriminate against people in the LGBTQ community. There’s a bill, the Ohio Fairness Act, that will make that type of discrimination illegal. Specifically, it protects against employment discrimination, housing […]
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I vividly remember exactly where I was when the Obergefell v. Hodges decision was announced in the Summer of 2015. I was sitting in a living room, and the news was on as background noise. I cranked up the volume, and as I heard more of the story, I felt such a sense of victory! […]
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Here’s what I know about youth: They have the best environment to thrive when they are supported and can get the health care they need. Instead, this bill promises burden and harassment.
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We all rejoiced when the Obergefell v. Hodges decision was announced in 2015. Same-sex marriage became legal throughout the United States! A tremendous victory. But as these things go, a Supreme Court victory like that one, unfortunately, does not mean that all state laws and policies related to marriage and families and parentage change overnight. […]
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For the past several weeks, the Equality Ohio Legal Clinic has covered the trio of cases in front of the Supreme Court concerning Title VII employment protections for LGBTQ people on the basis of sex. I highly recommend the articles written by my colleagues Emily Meyer and Kate Mozynski if you need a quick refresher […]
Read MoreIf you’re a regular reader of our blog, or if you’ve been paying attention to the news in recent weeks, you may have read about the momentous trio of cases that were argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court last week. The Bostock, Zarda, and Harris Funeral Homes cases all deal with Title VII […]
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Last Tuesday, I felt like I was waiting with bated breath as I kept hitting “refresh” on the Supreme Court website. Finally, that afternoon, transcripts of two oral arguments were posted, and I started to read. As many of us are aware, last Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard two oral arguments in three major […]
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Last 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 Ohio Legislature to show support for LGBTQ Ohioans. The celebration was started in 1988 by LGBTQ activists, Jean O’Leary and Robert Eichberg, as a way […]
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On Tuesday, October 8 the Supreme Court of the United States will hear three cases about LGBTQ employment discrimination that will determine if federal law protects LGBTQ people. I can’t overstate the importance of these cases. The Court must affirm that LGBTQ people have the right to work and be judged only on their merit […]
Read MoreYep, my voting record is hit or miss. Even as proud as I am to be an advocate for justice, equity, and liberation, there are several years when I did not vote. There were years in my life where I was moving, unsure of what was on the ballot, but there were definitely years where […]
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Ohio’s Treatment of Transgender People Out of Line You may have heard that Ohio has the unfortunate distinction of being one of only two states in the entire United States that refuses to allow a person to correct the gender marker on their birth certificate. Ohio’s partner in embarrassment is the state of Tennessee. Both […]
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