Equal Housing and Employment Act is coming back!

The Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA) is back here in Ohio. It's time to get this one through, guys and gals. Really. Aren't we tired of being in a state that doesn't even protect LGBTQ folks in very basic areas like, say, employment and housing? It's time to make the change.

From an Equality Ohio e-mail alert:

In the next few days, Representative Dan Stewart (D-Columbus) and Representative Ross McGregor (R-Springfield) will introduce in the Ohio House of Representatives the Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA) a bill which will make it illegal to discriminate in Ohio in employment, housing, public accommodations and credit based on sexual orientation and gender identity . Now is the time to ask other representatives to do what’s right and lend their name to the bill as well.

Recently your representative received a request from Reps. Stewart and McGregor to join them on the bill as a cosponsor. Will you call Representative Peter Stautberg and personally ask them to do what’s right and cosponsor this important piece of legislation?

Here's what you can do right now:

Call your legislator’s office and after identifying yourself as a constituent and sharing where you live in the district, ask:

Did the legislator receive the sponsorship request for Equal Housing and Employment Act?

Has the legislator decided to join Representatives McGregor and Stewart as a cosponsor of the bill?
- If yes – thank them for their support.
- If no – share your personal story about why it is so important for the legislator to support the bill and then ask again.

They are also asking you to contact Equality Ohio by phone (614-224-0400) or by email (kim@equalityohio.org) when you do get ahold of your representative and tell them what they said. That way, they can hold each person to their word.

Now, EO has a goal this year -- last year they had 18 co-sponsors, and, this year, they want 25 co-sponsors (25% of the House). You know what? With all due respect to Equality Ohio, I have a goal, too...

How about we pass the damn thing?*
And so, here's how you find out who your representatives are, along with their contact information, and make sure you follow new developments here at QueerCincinnati.com (or at the official website -- dowhatsrightohio.com -- but wouldn't you rather just come visit me? :-)), and make sure you contact your representatives!

*I wanted to point out that, yes, I understand we have a greater chance of passing it with the greater number of co-sponsors because then we can count on their votes -- yadda yadda yadda. :-) I'm just being a hellraiser.