Top 10 States for LGBT Workers….and why Ohio should be on this list.
Ohio is a great state for LGBT workers
For LGBT Workers (and members of the LGBT community in general) some states are better than others. The better states are ones who afford us equal status as US Citizens. However, I came across this article the other day, and it bothered me that Ohio wasn’t on the list – even though we don’t (yet) have marriage equality.
Most (all?) of the major cities in Ohio have large, active, and vibrant LGBT communities. Most (again, all?) of the major employers have benefits for LGBT partners and the cities these couples live in have passed nondiscrimination policies. The only thing we are lacking is marriage equality – but I’m not sure that should keep us off the list.
Looking at the article, the list was based on:
states where gays and lesbians are protected from workplace discrimination, can marry or form unions, and are most likely to receive benefits, like health care for same-sex partners.
That’s Ohio. Well, at least the places of which I’m aware. Granted, we do have our small, backward, rural communities. But I assume places like Iowa (which made the list) do too. (I know, I know, Iowa has marriage equality.)
Ohio is a beautiful state and I have found that most of the communities that I venture into are overwhelming accepting of the LGBT community – especially if you are sticking to the major metropolitan areas of Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. (And the same holds true in place like Akron/Canton, Dayton, and Toledo.)
Here’s the listings from the article:
Midwest
Two Midwestern states made the list — Iowa and Minnesota. Both states have legalized gay marriage and mandate that businesses offer same-sex benefits to employees. Many of Iowa’s laws protecting the LGBT community go back more than a decade. Iowa was the third state in the nation to make gay marriage legal. And Iowa City, where the University of Iowa is located, enacted a law back in 1977 making it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation — one of the first municipalities in the nation to make such a law.
So that’s cool.
East coast
On the east coast Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont offer friendly work environments to gays and lesbians. All offer protections from hate crimes and workplace discrimination. Massachusetts was the first state in the union to legalize gay marriage in 2003, and for 20 years has allowed same sex couples to register as domestic partners for the purposes of bereavement leave and hospital visits.
Not surprised by any of this.
West coast
On the west coast, California and Washington both have legalized gay marriage, and provide work environments friendly to LGBT workers. Both states have laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in addition to sexual orientation. There are large LGBT communities in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle. California is recognized as a trailblazer for gay rights. In 1999 it became the first state in the nation to recognize domestic partnerships, and today it is one of the only states to extend Family and Medical Leave benefits to same-sex partners.
Again, not shocking.
Why Ohio belongs on the list:
LGBT Pride Parade in Columbus, Ohio
In the end, I’m not surprised by the results, but it would be nice to see a broader list or one of non-marriage equality states that are great places to live and work. One that includes states like Ohio where there are thriving LGBT communities in spite of the fact that LGBT people/couples are not given full equality. Places like Columbus are routinely recognized as great places for LGBT people to live and work (even going so far as saying Columbus is the Gay Mecca of the Midwest - that’s from the NYT too). Cleveland and Cincinnati aren’t far behind.
If you want to read more articles about how great Columbus and Ohio are for LGBT workers and other folk, check these out:
Columbus, Ohio: The New Gay Mecca
Move Over San Fran And NYC! Why Is Columbus Becoming America’s #1 Gay City?
I think that’s enough, but we also have this pretty cool LGBT law firm.
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