The Stonewall Democrats of Summit County have
worked with Akron City administration for two years and been in regular
contact with Summit County administration in the effort to pass
nondiscrimination legislation and in 2009, they made concrete progress
for their community.
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic and
Summit County Executive Russ Pry concurrently sponsored
non-discrimination ordinances in their respective councils. The City of
Akron ordinance now protects the LGBT community in the areas of
harassment and housing, and prohibits discrimination from vendors who have
contracts with the city, with notable exceptions for religious organizations and those who contract for services for minors.
The County of Summit updated their employment classes of protection to
include sexual orientation and gender identity. Also, the 8,000 different vendors of the
county are prohibited to discriminate on the basis of sexual
orientation and gender identity. Both ordinances were signed into law
on November 30, 2009. Previously, both Mayor Plusquellic and Executive
Pry issued executive orders protecting city and county employees from
discrimination.
SDSC leadership worked with both The
City of Akron and The County of Summit to get this non-discrimination
legislation passed. Members of SDSC were there to answer and advise
members of both the city and county councils,
along with representatives from the city and county on any questions
they had including the issue of gender identity. The Stonewall
Democrats of Summit County organized lobbying efforts to educate city
and council members who were not in support of this legislation. SDSC
facilitated conversations between citizens of the LGBT community with
their respective city and county council members in order to make the councils
more familiar with discrimination.
The Stonewall Democrats of Summit County was formed in March 2007 and continues to educate elected officials, candidates, Democrats
and the community at-large on LGBT issues.
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