SitemapTwo months after its passing, members of an LGBTQ group in Youngstown are talking about the anti-discrimination laws and what they mean for the city.
Youngstown is now the 16th Ohio city to ban discrimination. City leaders passed the law in December, making it illegal to discriminate people in the LGBTQ community. The law forbids bullying and discrimination in employment, housing, and lending.
Full Spectrum Community Outreach board members said this will have a big impact on how the Youngstown community comes together.
Tim Bortner said it’s a good sign leaders like Youngstown Mayor John McNally are behind the LGBTQ community.
“I think it’s very important because it actually shows that our support is coming from the top down,” he said. “It shows that they support us and that they are here for us, and willing to help us make this a better community and safer place for us to be.”
Marnie Cram called the law “monumental.”
“It means that there are greater protections for the population, meaning that we can move forward focusing on other things to get the community together,” she said.
Earlier this week, the White House announced an executive order protecting federal employees from anti-LGBTQ discrimination signed by President Obama in 2014 will continue to be in effect during President Trump’s administration.
Full Spectrum wants to continue working with other organizations in the area, including the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation and St. John’s Episcopal Church, to have a bigger impact on the community.
Full Spectrum offers support groups to reach out to the LGBTQ community in the Youngstown area. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page.
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