1.  Representatives Ross McGregor (R - Springfield) and Nickie Antonio (D - Lakewood) to reintroduce EHEA in Ohio House - The Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA), which would prohibit discrimination in housing and employment on the basis of sexual orientation, is expected to be introduced in the House by Reps. Ross McGregor (R) and Nickie Antonio (D).  Equality Ohio met recently with Reps. McGregor and Antonio, and we will be working closely with them on navigating the bill through the current General Assembly.  Last year, EHEA was the first pro-equality bill to pass any chamber of the Ohio General Assembly, but it stalled in the State Senate.  We have established a base of support for EHEA in both the House and Senate, but it is extremely important for our community to mobilize in support of this bill to broaden its support.  Lobby Day on May 18th is an important opportunity for you to talk to your representatives about this and other pro-equality legislation, and we hope that you will join us then.  We also ask that you reach out to friends and family who live in areas where the current legislators are not supportive of EHEA so that they understand their constituents support it.  In the coming months, we will specifically identify those representatives who we believe are potential supporters and do targeted outreach in those communities.  Click here to read a recent article about EHEA.

Equality Ohio honors the many faces of our movement during Black History Month.

Alvin Ailey, Audre Lorde, Barbara Jordan, RuPaul and Bayard Rustin

Black History Month Profiles here.

Same-sex parenting cases are beginning to reach the Ohio Supreme Court. 

Updates: Case Number 2010 - 0276 (Re: Lucy Kathleen Mullen) - See oral arguments at Ohio Supreme Court - more.

Here is the case that is referred to in the testimony in Re: Lucy Kathleen Mullen.  Case Number 2001 - 0625 (Teri J. Bonfield and Shelly M. Zachritz) - See oral arguments at Ohio Supreme Court  - more.

Northwest Ohio

Our State Policies (Reminder):


The Ohio Department of Public Safety created the Next of Kin Registry that allows residents to declare their next of kin for the benefit of first responders at the site of an accident.  For more information click here.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety Bureau of Motor Vehicles changed their policy to allow pre-operative transgender Ohioans to change the gender marker on their driver’s license.  For more information click here.

Effective in 2010, the Ohio Department of Insurance succeeded in changing the State Income Tax Code to stop charging State Income Tax to the employee on employer paid portions of domestic partner benefits.  Spousal benefits are exempt from both State and Federal Income Taxes.  Ohio’s same-sex couples still have to pay Federal Income Tax on these benefits.  Ask your human resource professional or tax preparer for more information.