Oh... Ohio!

The Republicans in Ohio are trying so hard to be the biggest a*s in passing anti-trans laws!

Ohio ranks fourth in nation for anti-LGBTQ+ incidents, report says

by: David Rees

NBC 4 (WCMH

Feb 23, 2026

Ohio ranked fourth in the nation in 2025 for the highest number of anti-LGBTQ+ incidents, with 51 reported cases, according to a new report from GLAAD.

California ranked first with 198, then New Hampshire with 72 and Texas with 66, the organization said in its 2025 Alert Desk report released in late January. Nationwide, GLAAD tracked 1,042 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in 47 states and the District of Columbia between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025. The marks a 5% increase from the 984 incidents recorded in 2024, according to the report.

In Ohio, the 51 incidents included 20 protests, 19 instances of propaganda distribution, five acts of vandalism or damage, two acts of harassment, two bomb threats and three arson attempts.

The report found that 268 incidents occurred last June, making it one of the most dangerous Pride months since GLAAD began collecting data in 2022. That figure represents nearly a 400% increase from the 54 incidents tracked in June 2022.

GLAAD said states at the center of political debates over LGBTQ+ rights led the country in total incidents. In Ohio, the report cited controversy after the City Club of Cleveland invited a lobbyist from the Center for Christian Virtue, designated as an “anti-LGBTQ+ hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, to speak as part of its civic engagement programming.

But wait...! The Council on American-Islamic Relations reports,

The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), CAIR Action, the ACLU of Ohio, the Ohio Divest Coalition, and a diverse coalition of partners testified against Ohio Senate Bill 87 (SB 87), legislation that would codify the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism into state law on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

The coalition included lawyers, doctors, educators, veterans, and faith leaders from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and other communities. Together, the coalition members advocated for free speech and human rights for people of all backgrounds. More than 25 Ohioans from across the state testified against the bill in-person, in addition to more than 67 others submitting written testimony. A letter signed by more than 100 Jewish Ohioans opposing SB 87 was submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and more than 400 Ohioans signed an action alert urging lawmakers to vote no. 

The bill would violate the First Amendment!

If passed, SB87 would expand the net of criminalization for speech using the IHRA definition of antisemitism that has been widely criticized as overbroad. Even Kenneth Stern, the principal drafter of the definition, has opposed its use by government agencies.

But wait — there’s even more. Last summer, Ohio lawmakers wanted to make attacks on politicians hate crimes…

Ohio lawmakers move to classify threats on politicians as hate crimes

The Ohio Capital Journal

By: Morgan Trau

August 28, 2025

A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers has introduced a bill making hate crimes illegal, increasing penalties for assaulting or terrorizing someone based on their race, sex, and even political affiliation.

Over the past year, the Ohio Statehouse has had to increase security due to upticks in threats against lawmakers.

The FBI charged a New Albany man in May for sending white powder and a bullet to Attorney General Dave Yost. Along with the threats to the state’s top cop, the suspect sent powder and violent messages to dozens of other public officials, like Sec. of State Frank LaRose and Treasurer Robert Sprague.

A Dayton man was arrested in July for leaving a threatening voicemail to Congressman Jim Jordan.

Over the past two years, Congresswoman Shontel Brown, Yost, and several state lawmakers have been “swatted,” with individuals falsely reporting serious crimes occurring at their addresses. This hoax has the goal of sending a large police presence, or a SWAT team, to approach an unsuspecting victim.

I'm for increasing penalties on crimes. But I do not support redefining them as hate or bias crimes. Hate crimes are about immutable characteristics.

Now they want to make political affiliation a protected class. I don’t know about you, but I have changed political parties in the past, but my gender identity, however, is immutable.

H.B. 306 creates a new provision, protecting race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, familial status, military status, disability, the person’s position in a labor dispute, and political affiliation or position.

“One category that is not explicitly protected by this law, and it was kind of surprising to see that it was omitted given how broad this law is, is sexual orientation and sexual identity, gender identity,” Hill said.

This bill was a compromise, Jarrells said, but he believes that if someone commits a crime against a member of the LGBTQ+ community, it would fall under the “sex” protection.

“We were able to settle on ‘sex’ being kind of the umbrella term that covers all the gamut,” Jarrells said.

Hill acknowledged that in some cases, the U.S. Supreme Court has included sexual orientation under the sex category. Still, this provides an opening to interpret the law as not necessarily including sexuality or gender, she said.

But aren't!