Proposed laws, court decisions worry Dayton LGBTQ community, but they remain hopeful

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/DAVID A. MOODIE

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/DAVID A. MOODIE

As Pride Month comes to an end, local LGBTQ community members say this is the wrong time for advocates and allies to turn their attention away from the fight for equal rights.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is one of those reasons, they say.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/DAVID A. MOODIE

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/DAVID A. MOODIE

Supreme Justice Clarence Thomas in a concurring opinion that overturned the constitutional right to abortion said the nation’s highest court should reconsider several other past rulings that enshrined rights to same-sex marriage, same-sex sexual relationships and access to contraception.

Thomas said the Supreme Court should “correct the error” made in precedents set by the cases of Griswold v. Connecticut, Lawrence v. Texas and Obergefell v. Hodges

The 1965 Griswold decision established the right of married couples to buy and use contraceptives. The 2003 Lawrence ruling established the right for consenting adults to have same-sex intimate relations. Obergefell (2015) gave same-sex couples the right to marry.

Drew Huggins next month celebrates the ninth anniversary of his marriage to his husband, Jay Douglas. When they started dating in 2001, Huggins said he never would have dreamed they would be allowed to wed one day.

These days, many younger same-sex couples can’t imagine they would be barred from marrying the person they love, he said.

Huggins said it’s unconscionable that lawmakers or members of the Supreme Court would want to take away rights same-sex couples worked so long and so hard to obtain.

But he said he’s hopeful for the future because the younger generations are extremely accepting of LGBTQ people.

“I am forever an optimist,” said Huggins, president of the Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus (DGMC) board of directors. “Any movement has setbacks, but fortunately setbacks galvanize the movement.”

Dayton is an accepting community

June is Pride Month, and many events and activities are held each year across the region and nation that celebrate the LGBTQ community, their contributions and the progress that has been made for equal rights.

Pride Month takes place in June in recognition of the Stonewall uprising, which were riots that were sparked by police raiding a gay club in New York City in 1969 that have been credited with launching the LGBTQ rights movement.

In some respects, acceptance of LGBTQ community members is far more common nowadays, said Randy Phillips, executive director of the Greater Dayton LGBT Center.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/DAVID A. MOODIE

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/DAVID A. MOODIE

On a daily basis, no one bats an eye when same-sex couples walk hand-in-hand in public places, which is far different than decades ago, Phillips said.

Attitudes on same-sex marriage and same-sex relationships have drastically improved in the last 20 to 25 years, according to Gallup polls, and now more than 70% of Americans approve of gay and lesbian marriages and relations.

But Phillips said state lawmakers recently renewed attacks on the transgender community with bills that would interfere with young people’s health care needs and deny them gender-affirming care.

One proposed bill would restrict minors’ access to gender transition counseling or treatment and another would ban transgender women from competing in women’s sports at Ohio schools and colleges.

Another bill would prohibit students in kindergarten through the third grade from learning about sexual orientation or gender identity, while also imposing restrictions on what kinds of materials older students can receive.

Critics have called the legislation Ohio’s version of Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/DAVID A. MOODIE

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/DAVID A. MOODIE

State legislatures across the nation approved an unprecedented number of anti-LGBTQ measures in 2021, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Phillips said hopefully these Ohio bills will fail and others will succeed that seek to add sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to the state’s anti-discrimination laws.

He urged people to register to vote and head to the polls on Election Day to ensure the people in power have their best interests in mind.

“Don’t vote for someone who will vote to curb your rights or the rights of someone you love,” he said.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/DAVID A. MOODIE

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/DAVID A. MOODIE

The Dayton LGBTQ community has done the right things to increase public acceptance and move toward greater equality, Huggins said.

“LGBT members — the best thing that we can do is to continue to do what we do and be proud and lead by example,” said Huggins. “We’ve got the public consensus behind us, we just need to make sure we don’t have anymore rogue actors.”

Karen Shirk, who is 60, said when she celebrated Pride Month in her 20s the events were almost entirely attended by LGBTQ people.

But Pride events in Dayton these days are packed with friends, families and community members of all stripes, and there are growing signs of acceptance everywhere, said Shirk, president of PFLAG Dayton, a group that supports, educates and advocates for people who are LGBTQ.

Television shows and blockbuster Marvel movies have LGBTQ characters and LGBTQ celebrities have huge numbers of followers on social media and lots of influence, she said.

“It’s just part of life, which is what the LGBT community is — just part of the community,” she said. “Is the LGBTQ community becoming more accepted — yes, absolutely.”

The best way to combat intolerance and anti-LGBTQ attacks is education, Shirk said, adding that discriminatory legislation usually is rooted in fear and misunderstanding.

Ohio is a conservative state, but Dayton is a very supportive place for the LGBTQ community, Shirk said, noting in the past it was ranked the no. 1 Queerest City in America by Advocate magazine and one of the best U.S. cities for LGBTQ people to retire.

Shirk also said she is enthralled with Gen Z and the young people she meets in this area who are motivated and willing to organize.

“This is the most accepting, self-advocating and knowing themselves generation that I’ve ever seen,” she said. “Whoever you are, they accept you, and with that acceptance, the world is a better place.”

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