|
Updated 12.20.11 The ACLU believes that individuals should
not be discriminated against based on sexual orientation or gender identity. To that end,
the ACLU deploys legal, educational and legislative resources to fight for full legal rights
for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, whether in employment, schools,
marriage or parenting.
What’s Happening in Ohio
School Bullying
Recent cases of bullying in Ohio and nationwide have shed new light on the extensive
challenges many students experience every day. In April 2011, the ACLU of Ohio sent a
letter to school superintendents
around the state urging them to adopt proactive
bullying policies that balance education and discipline.
In October, 2011 a Chillicothe-area freshman named Zach was assaulted by a fellow student
in his high school classroom because of his sexual orientation. In the days following the
attack, a video of the incident was posted online.
Zach’s story sparked national outrage and has drawn even more attention to the
issue of school bullying. The ACLU
of Ohio has taken action to protect Zach and other students from future instances of
bullying.
The Ohio legislature is currently considering a number of bills that would do more to
address the problem of bullying in schools.
In December, the ACLU offered testimony to the Ohio Senate Education Committee showing support for legislation that would bring more student protection, better staff training and stiffer consequences for school who fail to comply with anti-bullying mandates. The ACLU also testified on the constitutional limits schools and the legislature face when addressing “cyber-bullying,” which often happens outside of school.
By providing tools for
educators and students to address bullying quickly and compassionately, schools will
be better equipped to foster a positive learning environment for all young people.
Anti-discrimination Ordinances
Twenty-nine Ohio cities and counties now have anti-discrimination ordinances. Eleven of
these fully protect individuals from discrimination in employment and housing based on
sexual orientation and gender identity. In addition the State of Ohio protects its workers
from discrimination based on sexual orientation, but not
gender identity.
The following Ohio cities and counties have an LGB or LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance
that protects all individuals from discrimination:
Akron*, Athens*, Bowling Green*, Canton, Cincinnati*, Cleveland*, Cleveland Heights,
Columbus*, Dayton*, East Cleveland*, Lakewood, North Olmsted, Oberlin, Oxford*, Shaker
Heights, Toledo*, and Yellow Springs*.
The following cities and counties have protections for city or county employees only:
Cuyahoga County, Cuyahoga Falls, Franklin County, Gahanna, Hamilton, Hamilton County,
Laura, Lima, Lucas County, Montgomery County, Summit County, and Wood County.
* Indicates that the ordinance provides full protections from
discrimination in employment and housing based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
More information about the protections offered in each area is available here.
Domestic Partner Registries
In June 2011, Athens became
the fourth city in Ohio — joining Toledo, Cleveland, and Cleveland Heights —
to pass a domestic partner registry. While registries do not create any new legal rights,
they can be an invaluable tool for unmarried same and opposite sex couples to access
other services – such as employment benefits, child care, hospital visitation, and
more.
Marriage Equality
Full marriage equality exists in six
states, and others allow civil unions, domestic partnerships, or other types of legal
recognition. However, Ohio is one of many states that
have either state laws or constitutional provisions barring same-sex marriage or
relationship recognition.
In November 2004, Ohio’s state constitution was amended by ballot Issue 1 to ban
same sex marriage. Article 15, Section 11 of the Ohio Constitution now says that the
state shall not create or recognize relationships of unmarried adults that approximates
marriage. In 2007, the Ohio Supreme Court narrowly interpreted the reach of Issue 1 in
the case Ohio v. Carswell, allowing the state to continue enforcing domestic
violence laws even if the couple was unmarried. Read the ACLU of Ohio
press release and legal brief.
Resources
Check out our Publications page for
more resources on LGBT issues.
ACLU Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender Project
Can you take a same-sex date to
the prom?, ACLU of Ohio
Equality Ohio, Information
about LGBT rights and advocacy in Ohio
Gay
Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Research and policy on safe schools
Gay Ohio History Initiative
(GOHI), Historical records related to LGBT advocacy and culture in Ohio
Lambda Legal, Legal rights
and advocacy information
National Gay and Lesbian
Taskforce, Research, publications, and advocacy information on a variety of LGBT
issues
TransOhio, News and resources
about trans rights and issues in Ohio
Read LGBT-related news releases and articles in our
News Center.
Browse our webcasts for LGBT rights-related programs:
|
news center
volunteer
