The Ohio House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee will hold a hearing today on H.B. 160, otherwise known as the Ohio Fairness Act. This legislation, introduced every session for at least 9 years but failing to move forward, adds sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to the laws that make discrimination illegal in Ohio.
That’s right––in most parts of Ohio, it’s still legal to discriminate against LGBTQ people.
Today, call your state legislator and urge them to support this bill!
Look up your State Legislator here.
Script: “Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m calling from [ADDRESS]. I’m calling today to ask Rep. [NAME] to please co-sponsor and support the Ohio Fairness Act, or HB 160. LGBTQ people in Ohio should be protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodation. Will Rep. [NAME] stand up for his LGBTQ constituents and stand on the right side of history?
If you can make it to Columbus, you can sit in on the hearing and listen to testimony. This hearing is for proponents of the legislation, meaning those who value protections for the LGBT community. (There won’t be any people there to speak against equality, if that is a concern!)
For more information about the hearing and how you can participate, visit Equality Ohio.