June is Pride Month for the LGBTQ+ community and while it is a time to celebrate the diversity of our communities in Ohio, it is also happening at a time of increased discrimination targeting this community.
The American Civil Liberties Union is currently tracking 515 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have been introduced in state legislatures across the United States, including in Ohio. And while not all of these bills will become law, they can have an impact on the community.
In January, Equality Ohio, the state's largest LGBTQ+ group, said that dozens of families were looking to leave Ohio because of House Bill 68, a law that would impact transgender youth.
We invited Ohio elected leaders who are part of the LGBTQ+ community onto the program on June 3. The guests discussed the strengths and challenges of being an out public official in the current political and cultural landscape.
Guests:
-State Sen. Nickie Antonio, (D-Lakewood), Senate Minority Leader
-Sandra Kurt, Akron Municipal Court Clerk of Courts
-Shannon Hardin, President, Columbus City Council
-Reggie Harris, Council Member, Cincinnati City Council
