ProgressOhio

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Supporters of legislation to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity unveiled a new website today designed to solicit examples of people who have been fired, denied housing or forced out of restaurants or other public places because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The new website can be found at www.dowhatsrightohio.com.  Anyone with knowledge of discrimination is asked to visit the site, then go to the link titled "Tell Your Story."

 "This type of discrimination is common, even though some people refuse to acknowledge its existence,'' said Lynne Bowman, executive director of Equality Ohio. "Our goal is to use the examples we collect to win passage of a law making it illegal to discriminate against someone simply because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.''

Bills to outlaw such discrimination are pending in the Ohio Senate and Ohio House of Representatives.

Hearings on Senate Bill 305, sponsored by Sen. Dale Miller, a Cleveland Democrat, resume tomorrow (Tuesday) and will include proponent testimony from the businesses and faith leaders. An identical bill is pending in the Ohio House of Representatives. Its main sponsors are Reps. Jon Peterson, a Delaware Republican, and Dan Stewart, a Columbus Democrat.

Opposition to the bills comes largely from the Ohio Christian Alliance which called the legislation "a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.''

Since bill introductions in March, new examples of discrimination have emerged. They include:

• A survey of Central Ohio gays and lesbians found that 60 percent had been called names, threatened or had their personal property defaced because of their sexual orientation.

• The inspector general for the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation to determine whether a career attorney with stellar performance reviews had been dismissed because of rumors that she is a lesbian.

Twenty-one states, 11 of Ohio's 13, four-year public colleges and 16 Ohio cities and villages have ordinances that protect their gay and lesbian residents. Rather than continue to allow a patchwork of protections – or none at all -- the legislation would create statewide standards for all Ohio residents.

Bowman said she is hopeful that ample evidence of discrimination, coupled with a growing coalition of businesses supporting the legislation, will make Ohio the 22nd state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  

 "Ohio's businesses – big and small – are lining up to support this legislation. They know that discrimination is not only wrong, it's also bad for business,'' Bowman said.

Business supporters include: Cardinal Health (Dublin); Certified Networker (Toledo); Cincinnati Precision Print (Cincinnati); Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland);  Cleveland MetroHealth (Cleveland);  ComStor (Huntsville);  Flichia Wholesale Distributing (Columbus); Gallon, Takacs, Boissoneault & Schaffer (Toledo); Financial Solutions Network (Dublin); Huntington Bank (Columbus); LimitedBrands (Columbus);  Mary Kelley's Restaurant (Dublin);   Nationwide Insurance (Columbus);  Optivue (Toledo);   Richner Hardware, Inc. (Twinsburg);  Sandy's Stuff for Women (Toledo); Strategic Mortgage (Columbus); ProMedica Health System (Toledo); Rain Wizard (Delaware); Summa Health Systems (Akron); University of Toledo (Toledo); and Wingspan Care Group (Shaker Heights).

Individuals will join representatives of the business community Wednesday in Columbus to lobby for passage of the bill. About 400 people are expected to participate.