Rep. Whitted Introduces Marriage Equality Legislation while Extremists Continue Attacks on LGTBQ+ Community

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Jodi Whitted (D-Madeira) and her fellow joint sponsor Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) introduced the Marriage Equality Act on Wednesday. The bill would provide clear legal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages in Ohio, giving them the same rights and benefits as other married couples.

“It has been nine years since the Obergefell v. Hodges decision gave federal protections to same sex marriage. The Marriage Equality Act updates the Ohio Revised Code to be in line with those protections. It was important to me that during my time as a representative, and during Pride Month, I introduced legislation that was about love and acceptance,” said Rep. Whitted.

In juxtaposition with this legislation, there was a calculated move Wednesday by extremist Republicans to wait till the end of the 12-hour House session, in the middle of the night when the public wasn’t paying attention, to introduce an amendment and force a floor vote on Senate Bill (SB) 104, the Anti-Trans Bathroom Ban:

“I am extremely disappointed in the passage of SB 104. As I said in my floor speech, 1 in 3 trans youth attempt suicide. While republicans say they care about children, it is obvious that they do not care about all children. We need to care about our children’s mental health, we need to care about kids who are struggling and starving, we need to care about giving students the best education possible,” said Rep. Whitted. “I will continue fighting for all Ohio children and to make this state a more inclusive and diverse place.”

Senate Bill 104 now heads to the Senate for consideration. Make sure you contact your state senator, Sen. Louis Blessing (R-Colerain Township) at 614-466-8068 to tell them to vote “no” on Senate Bill 104. 

Anti-trans legislation such as the Anti-Trans Bathroom Ban (Senate Bill 104), the Anti-Trans Sports Ban (House Bill 6) and the Ban on Gender Affirming Care (House Bill 68) have been introduced by Republicans during this General Assembly. These bills would destroy Ohioans civil rights and set our state backwards, jeopardizing the work activists, citizens, and leaders have done to make Ohio a welcoming and safe state for all.