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May 22, 2009

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 5

Lawmakers visited to urge equality bill's passage

by Eric Resnick

Columbus-For the fourth consecutive year, hundreds of volunteers descended upon the Ohio Statehouse to lobby for LGBT equality.

For the second year, the focus was on passing the Equal Housing and Employment Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to Ohio's antidiscrimination laws.

The May 13 event, organized by the LGBT advocacy group Equality Ohio, began with a speech by Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray.

Speaking to nearly 400 people who came from all of the state's 33 Senate districts and 71 of the 99 House districts, Cordray described EHEA as "something the broad middle of the people of the state would be able to support."

"Sexual orientation is a category worthy of protection," Cordray said, “and EHEA is a great place to start it."

Twenty other states now include sexual orientation in their anti-discrimination laws; 13 of these include gender identity. Fifteen Ohio cities do likewise, with five covering transgender people.

The lobbyists were also armed with postcards emblazoned with the word "Fired," and facts about how, in Ohio, people can lose their jobs just for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

The cards, signed by people in all parts of the state, were to be given to lawmakers in addition to others sent earlier.

According to Equality Ohio director Lynne Bowman, 17,000 cards were distributed.

"But the important number today is one," Bowman told the volunteers. "That represents each of you, the story of your life in Ohio, and what it's like to live and love and be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender in Ohio. While the other numbers are great, they don't mean a thing without you and your personal story."

"It just takes one story to reach one legislator and we add one sponsor or one vote," Bowman said.

A complete attendance was not available at press time, but early figures indicate that the event was larger than last year's 362 by a significant number.

Attendance was broader, solving last year's problem of the small groups visiting lawmakers being only straight allies with

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the LGBT community and Equality Ohio, the bill's chief advocate.

House Speaker Armond Budish of Beachwood supports the bill and told Equality Ohio members at a reception, "We're trying to push [for passage] as much as we can and as fast as we can."

Budish expects passage will require some Republican support. GOP co-sponsor McGregor said he expects to bring along a few members of his caucus.

This year's version of the bill, known as EHEA, has two differences from earlier ones to dampen opposition, according to Equality Ohio director Lynne Bowman.

One is an exemption for religious organizations.

The other is an exemption for employers with fewer than 15 workers. This matches the proposed federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, but makes sexual orientation and gender identity different from the other classes in Ohio's current anti-bias laws. Race, color, religion, national origin, age, handicap and ancestry are covered by laws that extend to employers with as few as four people working.

The bill was quickly referred to the 13-member State Government Committee chaired by Austintown Democrat Ronald Gerberry. Stewart is on the committee, as are cosponsors Dale Mallory of Cincinnati, Vernon Sykes and Brian Williams of Akron, all Democrats.

The remaining Democratic sponsors are Mike Skindell of Lakewood, Ted Celeste of Upper Arlington, Tom Letson of Warren, Nancy Garland of Gahanna, Mike Foley of Cleveland, Kenny Yuko of Euclid, Tracy Maxwell Heard of Columbus, Marian Harris of Westerville, Sandra

no LGBT participants. But fewer than a halfdozen people of color were present. This has been an issue each of the four years.

Legislators and their aides heard varied stories from their visitors, and many remembered talking with LGBT people in previous years.

Only two lawmakers, Senator Gary Cates, a Republican from West Chester and Rep. John Adams, a Republican from Shelby, refused to set appointments with their constituents from Equality Ohio.

Cates reportedly told the organization, "We know what you stand for and we are not interested in meeting with you."

Two appointments were cancelled at the last minute by the lawmakers.

The nine Akron area lobbyists who went to visit Senator and Republican gubernatorial candidate-Kevin Coughlin were instead met by page Eric Campfield, who told the group the senator, with whom they had an appointment, was at a meeting.

This is the fourth year in a row it happened that way.

Akron P-FLAG president Bill Libby, a Republican precinct committee chair, came prepared with a letter expressing indignation that all nine signed before filling Campfield's ear.

"I'm just a page," Campfield protested.

Rabbi David Horowitz, who was one of the nine, accused Coughlin, a right wing Republican, of "hiding behind a small constituency in his district."

"If he wants to be governor he has to represent all people, not just his group," Horowitz said.

But most visits went far better.

Noah Wolf, the aide to first-term Rep. Mark Schneider of Mentor was handed a stack of "Fired" cards and told EHEA is a "dollars and sense" issue.

Twenty-four lobbyists from central Ohio visited with Aleah Page, an aide to senate president Bill Harris of Ashland. The group was so large, it had to convene in the Warren G. Harding Senate Committee Room.

Sue Marotte of Mount Vernon told Page about being denied housing by landlords who would not rent to two women.

"I had to live at my place of business, separated from my children," Marotte said. Marotte's children, Meredith, 13 and Adam, 11, were with her.

Adam told Page, "We just want what other families have."

Gwen Andrix of Delaware said, "Because

Williams of Cleveland, Sandra Harwood of Niles, John Patrick Carney of Clintonville, Kathleen Chandler of Kent, Barbara Boyd of Cleveland Heights, Robert Hagan of Youngstown, Peter Ujvagi of Toledo, Joseph Koziura of Lorain, Roland Winburn of Dayton, Clayton Luckie of Dayton, Tyrone Yates of Cincinnati, Edna Brown of Toledo and Denise Driehaus of Cincinnati. Sponsor Terry Blair of Washington Township is a Republican.

Support for the bill, especially among Democrats, goes beyond the sponsors.

"My district is very conservative, so I'm not a sponsor," said Jay Goyal of Mansfield. "But I support it. It's the right thing to do."

Stephen Slesnick of Canton intended to be a sponsor, but his name did not make the list.

"There was simply a mix up, and a few members who cosponsored were not submitted, most likely due to an abundance of finance caucuses during the budget," Slesnick said. He intends to add his name when the measure reaches the House floor.

Since EHEA is not about marriage, Harwood is a sponsor although she is one of a few Democrats who crossed party lines in 2004 to vote for the so-called "defense of marriage act."

Harwood said nothing has changed with her attitudes about LGBT people.

"I have never been against people having equal rights," Harwood said, adding that she voted for DOMA to "protect the history and tradition of marriage."

"I have a family member in a civil union," Harwood said, "and I have no problem with them."

Harwood, an attorney, believes that DOMA permits Ohio to have civil unions, though at the time of the vote, the bill's drafter David Langdon and its sponsor, then-Rep. Bill Seitz, testified

of the governor's orders [barring discrimination by sexual orientation or gender identity in state employment] I have been able to work the polls as a presiding judge."

Andrix noted that she lost her privatesector job for transitioning.

"It takes away security and safety not to have protection," Andrix said.

Karen Aronoff and Ashley Wilson of Cincinnati visited the office of Senator Bill Seitz, a Republican known for passing Ohio's "defense of marriage act" in 2004.

Seitz spoke with them briefly before heading off to a meeting. The two then met with Seitz's aide Jessie Crews.

Aronoff is the daughter-in-law of former Senate President Stanley Aronoff and the mother of his grandchildren, ages 16 and 23.

This caught Seitz's attention because the men are friends. Seitz occupies the Senate seat Aronoff once held.

Aronoff works for Sprint. Her wife Vickie works for Oracle. The couple married in California in June. Both of their employers protect LGBT workers from discrimination.

Wilson, however, works for a small conservative company and cannot let anyone there know about her female partner.

Crews heard the stories, and nodded in agreement when Aronoff said, "This is completely separate from marriage. This is about business equality."

The day ended with a fundraising reception attended by Democratic Reps. Peter Ujvagi, Ted Celeste, Dale Mallory, Dan Stewart, Mike Skindell, Denise Driehaus, and John Patrick Carney and Republican Ross McGregor.

Democratic Senators Tom Sawyer and Dale Miller attended, as did Secretary of State and U.S. Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner.

McGregor, a primary EHEA sponsor, said "It was easy to say yes when Dan Stewart asked" him to sponsor the bill.

"I will be vocal. I will not hide in the shadows," McGregor said.

House Speaker Armond Budish of Beachwood said, "Ohio has a long way to move," adding "there are many legislators, a growing number, who see the importance of treating people equally."

"[EHEA] is just one item of legislation," Budish said. "After it, there is a whole lot more that needs done."

Equality Ohio has scheduled next year's lobby day for May 19, 2010.

ERIC RESNICK

State Rep. Stephen Slesnick of Canton, right, listens as Cheri and Brian Meyers of Columbus urge him to pass the Equal Housing and Employment Act in the lobby of the Riffe House Office Tower during a May 13 lobby day for the measure. Slesnick, a Democrat in his first full term in the House, supports it.

that the section denying an otherwise undefined "statutory benefits of legal marriage" was intended to stop civil unions.

Other House Democrats will probably oppose the measure, though not many.

Jennifer Garrison of Marietta is likely to be among that group.

Garrison defeated Nancy Hollister, the only Republican who voted against DOMA, by gaybaiting her.

The vote was considered courageous for Hollister.

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Garrison sent out mailings that read, "If y believe marriage is between one man and one woman, there's something you should know about Nancy Hollister."

On the other side, the card said, "DOMA was enacted precisely to protect Ohioans from having to accept 'marriages' or 'unions' entered into in other states. Despite the value of DOMA, Nancy Hollister voted against it. Jennifer Garrison believes marriage is between one man and one woman and will fight to protect our values." In 2006 as a member of the House Education Committee, Garrison helped to kill an amendment that would have explicitly required Ohio's schools to protect students from bullying for their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The bill passed without the LGBT protections.

Garrison, an attorney who is now the Majority Floor Leader, second in rank to the Speaker, opposed EHEA last session on the belief that it is wrong to single out classes of people for protection. But she does not express any objection to other classes, including race, religion and national origin, having protection.

Garrison told the Equality Ohio lobbying group who visited her that she believes "no one

should be discriminated against," adding, "I will read the bill."

Garrison also said she would see what kind of support the bill gets in committee before deciding how she will vote.

The bill's House Republican co-sponsor, Ross McGregor said he will be working on Senate Republicans, too.

Republicans control the Senate, so a party line vote against EHEA would stop it, even with an affirmative vote by its Republican sponsor in the last session, Sen. David Goodman of Colurnbus.

If Senate president Bill Harris allows his caucus to vote their conscience, the measure has a better chance, as Senate Democrats will likely all vote for the bill.

The bill will come before the Senate from the House. A strategic decision was made not to have a Senate sponsor, according to Bowman. Harris is not tipping his intentions. Spokesperson Maggie Ostrowski said Harris will "refer it to a standing committee" once it arrives, and would comment no further.

Senator Bill Seitz of Cincinnati, who sponsored DOMA, is an influential Republican in the chamber.

In a written statement, Seitz said, "We will look at the bill when and if it reaches the Senate. Prior bills on this subject were overbroad and created too many opportunities for litigation." Asked to clarify what he meant by "prior bills on this subject," Seitz said "Sen. Dale Miller's bill Senate Bill 305 from the last General

Assembly."

That was last year's version of the same EHEA bill.