Ohio's LGBTQ Community Needs Protections, Lakewood Lawmaker Says

COLUMBUS, OH — Legislators need to pass the Ohio Fairness Act, a bill which would offer protections to the LGBTQ community, state Rep. Mike Skindell argued. The bill has not had a hearing since Feb. 4, 2020.

“Failure to pass the Ohio Fairness Act allows employers and landlords to continue to discriminate against LGBTQ Ohioans,” said Skindell, from Lakewood. “Although most Ohioans believe that discrimination is illegal, that is not the case in Ohio. Passage of this important legislation will make Ohio a more welcoming place to live and work.”

Ohio is one of 27 states which do not have protections for LGBTQ residents. Individuals can be denied jobs, housing or services based on sexual orientation or gender identity in Ohio. Roughly two dozen communities in Ohio have enacted their own ordinances protecting LGBTQ residents, but most Ohioans do not enjoy those protections.

The Ohio Fairness Act has had bipartisan support in the Ohio House, but has been pushed to the back burner in the age of COVID-19 and sweeping political unrest. However, Skindell's office argues that LGBTQ Ohioans face less access to health care and a greater chance of living in poverty.

Approximately 17 percent of America's LGBTQ community have lost their jobs since the economic contractions caused by COVID-19 began, NBC News reported.