LGBTQ Rights

The ACLU of Ohio works to ensure that all LGBTQ+ Ohioans can live openly and authentically without discrimination, harassment, or violence. We understand how critical this moment is not only for our state, but nationwide. We remain steadfast in our mission of defending the civil liberties of LGBTQ+ individuals and reminding them: Ohio is our home, too.

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In recent years, there has been an onslaught of legislative attacks against transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex (TGNCI) Ohioans, particularly targeted at trans youth. The ACLU of Ohio stands firmly with trans Ohioans and their families, and we believe that all individuals deserve the right to make their own medical decisions and express their gender identity without government overreach.

Following the passage of House Bill 68, Ohio’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth and ban on trans girls and women from participating in sports in December 2023, we have been in court fighting this legislation. After the Court struck down our initial case, we immediately began the appeal process. Read through the latest update on our case here.

• FAQ: Gender-Affirming Medical Care in Ohio
• FAQ: Correcting the Gender Marker on an Ohio Birth Certificate
• Blog Post: HB 68: Pathway to Court
• Blog Post: Deep Dive: Voting While Trans or Gender Non-Conforming
• View our Transgender Spotlight video series uplifting the lives and lived experiences of trans Ohioans.
• View our LGBTQIA+ Activist interview series where we sat down with activists from Columbus’ LGBTQ community to learn more about their personal stories and how they use their voices and talents for positive community activism.

Ohio does not have a statewide law that protects LGBTQ people from discrimination. This means that a person can still be fired, denied housing, or refused service simply because of whom they love or how they identify. Unfortunately, the Ohio legislature has been voting down LGBTQ nondiscrimination bills for the past twenty years. Through the bipartisan Ohio Fairness Act, which has been introduced in the OGA more than 10 times throughout the years, Ohio lawmakers could extend basic statewide protections to the LGBTQ community. The Ohio Fairness Act prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations. We urge Ohio lawmakers to introduce and move this key piece of legislation during the current Ohio General Assembly session.

The ACLU of Ohio is a proud partner of Ohio Business Competes alongside Equality Ohio, Trans Ohio, and the Human Rights Campaign. Ohio Business Competes is a nonpartisan coalition of businesses committed to achieving nondiscrimination policies at the state level to promote an attractive, prosperous, and economically vibrant Ohio. Together, we are rallying the Ohio business community and calling on legislators to make the Ohio Fairness Act a reality. With over 1,000 diverse members in every legislative district in the state, Ohio Business Competes proves that statewide action is needed.

As of February 20, 2024, 35 localities and 1 county in Ohio have passed local ordinances banning any LGBTQ+ discrimination (sexual orientation or gender identity) in employment, housing, and public accommodations, but LGBTQ+ Ohioans deserve more than a piecemeal approach.

On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled that marriage equality be the law of the land in a landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. Specifically, the court found that the 14th Amendment requires all states to license marriages between same-sex couples and to recognize all marriages that were lawfully performed out of state. Prior to making its way to the United States Supreme Court, the plaintiffs in Obergefell v. Hodges, James Obergefell and John Arthur James, filed their lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Learn more about the case and Ohio’s role in same-sex marriage rights here.

A Side-By-Side Comparison: Ohio Fairness Act, Equality Act and Bostock Decision - June 15, 2021