Bonnie McGinnis considered herself a “good teacher.”
“I loved my job,” McGinnis said. “I got excellent teaching evaluations. ... Students left my class completely prepared.”
But five years into her teaching job, she said, she became subject to a “witch hunt” after being “outed” as a lesbian. As a result, she said, she felt compelled to resign.
“I was harassed and feared for my life,” she said. “My name was smeared and my reputation ruined.”
McGinnis believes this would not have happened had the Equal Housing and Employment Act existed five years ago.
“I would still be in the classroom today,” she said at a Statehouse event to introduce House Bill 335.
The bill would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the categories of people protected from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.
It would protect their rights just as race, gender, religion and other categories have been protected for years. The bill includes a religion exemption, does not require the construction of any facilities and only applies to businesses with 15 or more employees.
The Rev. Michael Brown of the Holy Cross Reformed Catholic Church in Bowling Green was on hand yesterday for the bill’s introduction.
“They aren’t asking for special rights, just the same rights as everyone else,” Brown said. “I thought this was settled in the ’60s when poor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. died.”
Rep. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, said the bill she is co-sponsoring is important because people who know they are safe will do a better job.
In addition, she said, “It’s good for business to say Ohio does not allow discrimination. It’ll make a difference who takes a second look to bring business to Ohio.”
About 17 cities across the state, including Columbus, have enacted equality laws for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ed Mullen, executive director of Equality Ohio, said it’s time for the state to follow suit.
“There are 100,000 people in the LGBT community in Ohio,” Mullen said. “These cities have open doors and thrive confidently. It’s not only good policy, its good politics.”
The Ohio House passed a similar bill last year, but the Senate never acted on it.
A like bill was introduced in September that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Although no one is sure how far this bill will go, Kim Welter, Equality Ohio’s director of programs and outreach, said she is confident it will pass eventually.
“We get further every time,” Welter said. “We’re going to keep educating.”
Rep. Ross McGregor, R-Springfield, remains hopeful that this could be the year.
“I have faith in my legislative colleagues,” McGregor said. “We’d like to see it on the governor’s desk.”
Alex Stuckey is a fellow in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Statehouse News Bureau.
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