Earlier this week, Candice Milligan, a transgender woman, was violently attacked in Toledo and was hospitalized. In light of this vicious attack, Steve Miller, chair of the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the ACLU of Ohio said:

“This is a sobering and truly reprehensible crime that happened in our city. It’s a wake-up call that our attitudes must change toward anyone who is perceived as different. Discrimination and crimes committed against individuals because of their gender identity should not be acceptable. Violence, or the threat of violence, perpetrated against one member of our community prohibits that person’s—as well as the entire community’s—full participation in society and ability to achieve full equality.”

There are few legal protections in Ohio for transgender people who face discrimination. State laws prohibiting job and housing discrimination do not generally apply to transgender individuals, meaning that these Ohioans face the daily reality of losing their housing or employment, not to mention fearing for their safety, simply for being who they are.