Nondiscrimination legislation passed in Akron, OH with help of local Stonewall affiliates

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.