Ohio House to vote Today on Equal Housing and Employment Act Today

The Ohio House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on HB 176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act, today, at 11:00 AM.

This bill if passed will bar discrimination against LGBT people and stop the fear they face where they live, work, and socialize.

Take action to let your representative know you support HB 176.

Do What's Right Ohio! - Pass the Equal Housing and Employment Act

In the state of Ohio people can be fired simply on the premise that they are or perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. There are no statewide protections for employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

Equality Ohio and Progress Ohio are looking to change that next Wednesday, June 17th in what is being billed as Ohio's first ever vote on a specifically pro-LGBT piece of legislation. The Equal Housing and Employment Act (HB 176) amends Ohio's existing Civil Rights Code to include sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

Learn more at Do What's Right Ohio and be sure to contact your legislator.

Gender Variant Youth Subject to School Makeover

"13 year old Ohio boy, Matt Alsup was forced to wash the make-up off of his face when school administrators said it was a distraction and against the dress code.

"When I spoke to the principal," his mother said, "She told me it was distracting because of the black makeup and I said, 'Well, I'll get him pink,' and she said no, because he's a male, he's not allowed to wear it, the public don't accept males wearing make-up."

Ball and her son point out that every student is required to wear a character badge – and one of the qualities it pledges is acceptance. "It says, 'do you value the uniqueness of all students?' and they're not letting me be unique," says the young man, Matt Allsup. "I don't see why we have to wear them if we're not able to express who we are."

Matt's mother, Mindy Ball: "They're gender stereo-typing. He's being sexually discriminated against. Nowhere in the rules does it say that males can't wear make-up".

Matt and his mother plan to hire and attorney and take the issue to court."

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Contact the Hamilton City Schools District which is responsible for Garfield Middle School and others.

Email the superintendent, human resources, and the director of pupil personnel, as well as the principle of the middle school all in one email click here to express your outrage.

Garfield Middle School
250 Fair Ave, Hamilton, OH 45011
Office: 513-887-5035

Hamilton City Schools District
533 Dayton Street
P.O. Box 627
Hamilton, OH 45012
(513) 887-5000

Crossposted via our friends at Lesbiatopia

Support Anti-Discrimination Legislation in Ohio

According to God is a Dyke:

"In Ohio it is legal to:

* Fire someone if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender
* Deny them a place to live if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender
* Force them to leave a restaurant if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender

In Ohio, it's legal -- even though more than two-thirds of Ohio voters support passage of legislation that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Today, a bipartisan group of legislators has introduced a bill to ban this type of LGBT legislation. State Senator Ray Miller and State Representatives Jon Peterson and Dan Stewart are optimistic, that Ohio will become the 21st state to update its laws and make our state a place where everyone feels at home."

OH Congressman Jeff Wagner Spews Out Hate

According to Pam's Houseblend:

"Jeff Wagner, a Republican who represents the 81st district in Ohio. Said he believes that "same-sex committed relationships lead to mental and physical illness". When a constituent asked about H.B. 502, the "Equal Housing and Employment Act", that would cover LGBTs, this is what Wagner said via email (spelling and grammar intact):

"This is a dangerous and misguided bill. The bill is not really about people being denied rights to basic needs, but it is about promoting acceptance of an immoral lifestyle. As much as some people would have us to believe otherwise, this country was founded on Christian principles. One of those long honored principles is the tradition of holy matrimony. One man and one woman joined together in a union that goes as far back as Adam and Eve. As our society has gotten further from that standard (not just homosexuality, but easy divorce, cheating on a spouse, etc.) we see a continued collapse of the basic building block of society the family unit. As that traditional family erodes, we see more sexually transmitted diseases, kids without parents, heartbroken people and I believe a host of mental and physical illnesses. . . . rest assured I can not support a bill in any way promotes or encourages the homosexual lifestyle."

Address:
77 S. High St
12th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 466-1374
Fax : (614) 719-6981

Email Address: district81@ohr.state.oh.us