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Democrats Are United Around LGBT Rights At DNC

KAREN KASLER
/
OPR

There still may be questions of party unity for the Democrats coming out of their national convention, but on one issue, the party seems to be very united – LGBTQ rights. 

Jim Obergefellof Cincinnati announced the votes for Hillary Clinton during the roll call of states at the convention this week.

The man who was the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit that brought marriage equality to the nation says there’s no question the Democratic Party is unified on this issue.

“They are on our side. They are fighting for our rights. They’re fighting to include us as ‘we the people’.”

Rep. Nickie Antonio is Ohio’s first openly gay state lawmaker, and she agrees.

“I felt like I was at a lovefest the past couple of days, even with some of the tension between smaller groups. In general, we want everyone to be included.”

But back at home, Antonio doesn’t have high expectations for her LGBT anti-discrimination bill, which she’s proposed three times. 

Karen is a lifelong Ohioan who has served as news director at WCBE-FM, assignment editor/overnight anchor at WBNS-TV, and afternoon drive anchor/assignment editor in WTAM-AM in Cleveland. In addition to her daily reporting for Ohio’s public radio stations, she’s reported for NPR, the BBC, ABC Radio News and other news outlets. She hosts and produces the Statehouse News Bureau’s weekly TV show “The State of Ohio”, which airs on PBS stations statewide. She’s also a frequent guest on WOSU TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, a regular panelist on “The Sound of Ideas” on ideastream in Cleveland, appeared on the inaugural edition of “Face the State” on WBNS-TV and occasionally reports for “PBS Newshour”. She’s often called to moderate debates, including the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s Issue 3/legal marijuana debate and its pre-primary mayoral debate, and the City Club of Cleveland’s US Senate debate in 2012.