Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Issue

Progressives working in and with the GLBT community believe that providing basic job protections for the community is good public policy and good for business.

Ohio law fails to provide such protections. It provides no safeguards against discrimination based on sexual orientation, and the Ohio Constitution encourages discrimination by banning same-gender marriage. As a result, same-gender couples are denied tax benefits and property rights afforded to those in marriages recognized by the state.

There also are no federal laws to prevent people from being fired or refused a job based on their sexual orientation.
Ohio also funds an abstinence-only-until-marriage program that does not provide information for GLBT students and contains inaccurate and misleading information.

Our goals include:

•Equal rights and benefits in the workplace.
•Ensuring that state and federal laws treat all families equally.
•Protections from hate crimes.
•Social support for children of same-sex couples.
•Safe living conditions for GLBT seniors.
•Revise the GLBT abstinence-only curricula to address the educational needs of all youth
•Expanded research by scientists, geneticists and ethicists

LIBRARY:

For a state-by-state overview of pertinent laws.

A text of Ohio’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

ACLU page on GBLT issues.

AIDS Drug Assistance Program, Policy Brief from the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland.

Case Western Reserve study on Ohio’s abstinence education program.

Equality Ohio’s Education Fund Survey.