To the editor:
I attended Chauncey’s recent City Council meeting on June 10th, during which a majority of Council present voted to oppose an effort to repeal the city’s critical protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. During an especially unsettling time for LGBTQ+ citizens – both in Ohio and across the country – this was a welcome bright spot during PRIDE Month. I applaud Council members for taking a stand to represent ALL Chauncey residents, reminding them that their presence and dignity matter. If, in the future, Council chooses to revisit the ordinance language, the ACLU of Ohio would happily extend its support in making the language stronger against legal attacks. This amendment process would not require a repeal of the ordinance.
During the meeting, many residents from Chauncey and the surrounding areas shared their stories and why inclusion is so important to them. It was powerful to witness community members coming together to ensure that southern Ohio remains a place where Ohioans of all walks of life can feel welcome and accepted. The refusal to strike down this ordinance also sends a clear message to the Statehouse and other higher levels of government that fearmongering or discriminatory legislation targeting LGBTQ+ Ohioans will not be tolerated.
In community,
Natalie Johnson
Advocacy strategist | ACLU OH