Ohio Attorney General Argues Against LGBTQ Protections

LAKEWOOD, OH — One of Ohio's only openly lesbian legislators lambasted a decision by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to sign onto an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to not extend protections to members of the LGBTQ community.

“The Attorney General is on the wrong side of history here,” said State Senator Nickie Antonio, a Democrat from Lakewood. “He is standing on the side of discrimination and, as a state, we shouldn’t reinforce such outdated thinking. Yost’s decision to argue against civil rights laws protecting LGBTQ workers is a waste of taxpayer resources, appears politically motivated and does not align with our governor’s previous actions."

Two Supreme Court cases, set for hearings in October, will debate whether or not Title VII protections should extend to sexual orientation of workers. Both the Trump administration and a collection of 13 attorneys general are arguing LGBTQ workers should not be protected from firing because of their sexual orientation or their decision to transition genders.

The amicus brief signed by Yost was submitted by attorneys general from Texas, Nebraska, Tennessee, and signed onto by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia. The brief argues that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not extend to LGBTQ workers.

For his part, Yost argued he signed the amicus brief because he feels a decision by the Supreme Courts to extend protections to LGBTQ workers would be an overreach by the judiciary.

“This case is about whether the judiciary gets to write new laws or if that should be left to elected legislators. The plain language of Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating because of sex, not sexual orientation or gender identity. If the law is to be amended, Congress, not the courts, should be the one doing it," Yost said in a statement.

Antonio sent a letter to Yost this week asking him to reverse course.

“Attorney General Yost, I would urge you to denounce all forms of discrimination and support the rich diversity and culture the LGBTQ community contributes to the state of Ohio every day,” Antonio wrote. “At the very least, I would like to discuss your support for our efforts to provide protections in Ohio for members of the LGBTQ community through the passage of SB 11.”