Anti-discrimination Law Passes Ohio House Of Representatives

[Paula ult]

Looks like Ohio is starting to come out of the dark ages.

Take Action: Ask Your Rep. to Vote Yes on HB 176

Anti-Discrimination Law Passes Ohio House of Representatives' State

Government Committee

History is made in Ohio

Today, with a vote of 8 to 5, House Bill 176, the Equal Housing and

Employment Act, passed out of State Government Committee in the Ohio

House of Representatives. The committee vote marks the first time in

Ohio’s history that a vote has occurred on legislation protecting the

lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Ohio in

either chamber of the General Assembly. The only previous issue to

come to a vote in the Assembly related to LGBT issues was the 2003

legislative so called Defense of Marriage Act.

Voting YES were Gerberry, Lundy, Sykes, Williams B., Stewart, Mallory,

Sayre, and Hite with Adams, Daniels, Grossman, Hall, and Stebelton

casting NO votes. The bill now moves to consideration by the entire

House of Representatives.

And the firsts just keep right on rolling. It is possible that next

week the entire House of Representatives will vote on HB 176!

It is time to call or email your State House Representative to ask

them to support HB 176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act. This

bill would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the existing

enumeration of protected classes in our state non-discrimination law.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW!

Is your legislator already supportive?

Use our talking points found here to write to your local paper and

submit a letter to the editor. Please see your local paper's

requirements for those letters. And then send it to us so we can

include it in what we provide to the legislature.

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):

Your Representative (if you live in Ohio)

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Vote Yes on HB 176

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

As your constituent, I am urging you to please vote YES on H.B. 176,

the Equal Housing and Employment Act.

It is time that sexual orientation and gender identity were added as

protected classes under our Ohio Civil Rights law.

No one should have to fear discrimination where they live, work or

play because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, straight or transgender.

Unfortunately, this is still an all too common occurence in our state.

You have the power to change that with your vote.

I believe that it is good public policy for the state of Ohio to pass

an anti-discrimination law addressing sexual orientation and gender

identity. I hope you will agree with me and vote YES on H.B. 176.

Everyone should feel safe in the state we call home.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Take Action!

Please see our talking points and frequently asked questions for

information you can use when talking to your legislature or local

media here.

Wed Jun 17, 2009 5:50 pm

"TransOhio.Org" <transohio@...>

transohio

[Guest Donna Jean]

Thanks, Paula....

You know me as an OHIO girl....I'm right there!

GREAT...hey, is that a light I see? Down that tunnel?

Wonderful!

Donna Jean

[Guest Soph]

Thats great news!

If PA doesn't catch up, I'll have to go over there

[Guest Leigh]

wooo..

that's good. i just hope it gets all the way...

i could use a little less work related stress.....

peace&love

leigh

[Guest Eth]

Thats great news!

If PA doesn't catch up, I'll have to go over there

Don't hold your breath >_< ... PA seems to be clueless about everything that isn't masculine, interested in sports and stuffed full of fattening foods and beer. It's especially ridiculous how they treat minors- it's like they've only just started acknowledging that people under 18 (or actually, under 21 until a few years ago...) even existed. And even then they're not doing much positive.

Did you know that in Pennsylvania emancipation for a minor is almost impossible in most district even in the case of the minor being self-supportive with physically abusive parents? Most of the judges have stated flat out that they simply "don't believe" in emancipation for minors.

The age of majority was 21 until a few years ago. I believe (though this may have changed since I last researched it in like 06 or 07) that there are more laws in Pennsylvania protecting animals than minors.

There is a law in Pennsylvania that you must undergo 12 sessions of therapy with a gender specialist minimum before you can go on HRT. Apparently some people also have to present an autobiography. So yeah, the state even interferes with your personal medical and/or mental health issues. How great is that...?

Sorry for going off topic - I know this is about Ohio, not Pennsylvania. I think it is great that things are going good in Ohio now and thanks a lot for posting this Paula!

愛 Eth

[gennee]

Congrats to Ohio. The Buckeye State has seen the light.

Gennee

[Guest Donna Jean]

Ok, Gang...lets not count our chickens before they are hatched....

I just received this e-mail when I got back from shopping from an old co-worker that I had worked with for 15 years...he doesn't know about me yet....

But just like getting political e-mails pro or con a candidate...how do other people know where you stand? How VERY egotistical to assume that you feel the same way someone else does...

It has really got me mad and I can't say anything to him yet as I am not out yet and he would NEVER keep a secret ....

OOOOooohhhhh I AM MAD *stomps foot* !!!!

Here is the text of the e-mail...red things will be mine!.......

Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire e-mail list of family and friends.

Ohio's H.B. 176 threatens our most basic freedoms

Contact your state representative today - your voice does matter!

June 19, 2009

Dear XXXXXX,

We are contacting you today to ask that you take just a few minutes to contact your representative in the Ohio House to encourage him/her to vote NO on H.B. 176.

Here are a few of the things that would happen if H.B. 176 were to become law -

It would become a criminal offense for Ohio business and property owners to make decisions based on their religious beliefs regarding homosexual behaviors.

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission would be authorized to work with the Department of Education to insure that all public school students in Ohio are taught that belief in the Biblical truth regarding homosexuality and other distorted sexual behaviors is equivalent to prejudice and thus inherently wrong. Students who have been taught by their parents that homosexual behaviors are contrary to their religious beliefs would have to remain silent or risk being punished, criticized and/or bullied. [Note: Sensitivity training of this nature does not recognize the critical difference between respect for all persons and affirmation of their beliefs and lifestyles.]

Civil Rights laws in Ohio would be seriously weakened. Civil rights laws were enacted to provide needed protection for classes that truly have experienced unjust discrimination. In order to qualify as a protected class under civil rights law, our courts have consistently held that a class must meet three criteria. They (1) must exhibit an immutable, non-behavior-based characteristic such as race or skin color; (2) they must have experienced a history of discrimination resulting in class-wide economic deprivation; and (3) they must be politically powerless. The courts have insisted that all three criteria apply in order to prevent extension of these protections to special interest groups and to insure the effectiveness of such protections for the truly deserving. "Sexual orientation" and "gender identity," the classes that H.B. 176 would add, do not meet any of these criteria and their inclusion would undermine and trivialize Ohio Civil Rights law.

Ohio state agencies, all local political subdivisions and any employer seeking to transact business with the state or its political subdivisions would be required to take affirmative action toward hiring persons in the new protected classes of "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" - thereby discriminating against all persons who do not so identify themselves. This is blatant reverse discrimination!

Take Action!

Click Here to urge your representative to vote NO on H.B. 176.

Please forward this alert to all your family and friends in Ohio. H.B. 176 could well be passed into law by our Legislature during the next few weeks and an overwhelming majority of Ohio citizens will be completely unaware of its passing until these devastating, consequences are thrust upon them.

Paula....I sent YOUR affidavit to my representative

Fingers crossed....they're out there!

Donna Jean

[Guest Eth]

Wow Donna Jean. So he's basically saying that it is unconstitutional to accept, tolerate, and not ostracise and ridicule people for their sexual orientation and/or gender identity based on the "fact" that it takes away from their "religious freedoms"?

If that's the case, then what's he want next? It should be okay to abuse, assault or even murder someone if your religion says God hates them? And I'm assuming he's Christian, since those are the ones most avidly anti-LGBT at the moment. So it's now the Christian way to put people down and remove them from society, be it directly or indirectly? Oh wait. Christianity has always been doing that. (history repeating itself)...

(sorry to those here who are Christians. I know that these people are radicals and that many Christians are nothing like that- I just didn't have a better way to word it)

愛 Eth

[Guest Donna Jean]

Yes, Sweetheart....

He and his wife both consider themselves "Good Christians"...

Jesus preaches love....

This is hate.....

Donna Jean

[Guest Zabrak]

This is blatant reverse discrimination!

Take Action!

LMAO!!!!!! I'm sorry, but nothing in that email really makes sense. It would not please Spock.

I really hope this passes( just saw this thread ). Good luck.

[Paula ult]

The Ohio House of Representatives voted on HB 176! and it passed by a wide margin... yay.

Below is a link to the house session on the vote:

http://www.ohiochannel.org/multimedia/orga...anization_id=31

Paula

[Guest NatalieRene]

That is excellent news!!

[Guest mia 1]

Great news Paula. This is excitng and historic..hooray for O hi O. Home of the underground rail road..good things lie (LAY?) ahead.....

[Guest Eth]

It's great that this passed! Though I don't think it really was by a wide margin. 51 to 43.

Just to voice my opinion on this video...

What really got to me was how, in order to pass this bill, they pretty much had to strip us of being human and instead make us 'able bodied workers'. It felt like it was more... "Okay, okay, ignore that they're hated, but they can do work! We should use that, since the economy is failing and all". It was kind of like "What? Are you gonna toss us in the river again when the economy gets better?".

We're human beings. Not worker ants. But yeah... I know that's what was needed just to get this passed. I'm just saying that's sad that it's still like that.

愛 Eth

[Guest Eth]

It's great that this passed! Though I don't think it really was by a wide margin. 51 to 43.

Just to voice my opinion on this video...

What really got to me was how, in order to pass this bill, they pretty much had to strip us of being human and instead make us 'able bodied workers'. It felt like it was more... "Okay, okay, ignore that they're hated, but they can do work! We should use that, since the economy is failing and all". It was kind of like "What? Are you gonna toss us in the river again when the economy gets better?".

We're human beings. Not worker ants. But yeah... I know that's what was needed just to get this passed. I'm just saying that's sad that it's still like that.

愛 Eth

Ah wait- I posted too soon. The end vote was 58 to 36. Much better.

愛 Eth

[Guest Eth]

So I sent an email to Ohio Rep. Ross McGregor just yesterday after watching that video. He was the Republican who sponsored the bill and gave that huge speech supporting us. I have to say that I usually lean toward the Democrats, but this guy stood out to me and I wanted to send him a letter of my thanks that also talked a little about transgender people and information on them.

I didn't expect to get a reply in only one day... But here it is:

Dear Eth,

Thank you so very much for contacting me and sharing your story of your personal struggles with discrimination as a transgender. You are truly inspirational and I certainly hope that all works out for you in the end. With your consent, I would like to share your email with others as I work to see to it that House Bill 176 is approved by the Ohio Senate and presented to our state's Governor, who has indicated his support for the measure.

Thank you again for contacting me. Your strength is an inspiration to us all.

Best regards,

-Ross

This proves that there are people everywhere who will help and support us no matter what. Black, white, gay, straight, Democrat, Republican, religious, non-religious, whatever.

It also proves that we can do our part too. If we act and send letters to the people that will help us, give them our allegiance or even just our support, they will in turn support us too. Don't hesitate to message the various government officials about our issues and how we need to get some help and support and see some change. They'll listen.

愛 Eth