Title
Notice/Advertisement Title: Meeting Notes from the September 1st LGBTQ+ Commission on Health and Social Services
Contact Name: Raven Ho
Contact Telephone Number: 614-645-9692
Contact Email Address: rvho@columbus.gov
Body
Date: Tuesday, Sept 1, 2026
Time 6:00 p.m. -7:30 p.m.
Location: Columbus City Hall, Room 225
Call to Order
• Welcome
• Introductions
Purpose of the Committee
• Background (Asa & Christine are interested in being formal members)
• Discussion Dr. Patterson, bringing data from INSIGHT Community Needs Assessment with the intent of getting that info to the larger commission. Qualitative data from 81 interviews being coded now. Over 1,000 quantitative data. October or beyond could be a good time get data report to the commission.
• Possibility of the City supporting the development of some sort of communication process across agencies that serve LGBTQ+ community.
• Are there asks from this committee on data that CAB might report.
• Christine Happel, interested in community engaged work, translating that into priorities for the city. Especially interested in advocating for older LGBTQ+ adults. Thinking about what our city needs.
• Asa Shorak discussing need for a united front for communicating needs/priorities to the community. Interested in facilitating more connections across organizations. Increasing accessibility of meetings, information sharing, etc.
• Importance of engaging a representative set of participants in the meeting/committee
• Joseph spoke on the importance of not duplicating efforts.
• Marci is being developed as a hub for information sharing, discussion of need for evaluating the actual friendliness of providers, etc. that are LGBTQ+ affirming.
• Discussion around the role of the Central Ohio LGBTQ Health Coalition, need to avoid duplication of coalition efforts.
• Looking at funding report from City since 2016. Julie will share that report with committee members.
Report from Meeting with Council Member Tiara Ross
• Commissioner Lenzo (no report, Commissioner Lenzo not present)
Priorities
• Short term (next 6 months)
o Determine who on Council or in Mayor’s Office work on health matters,
o Get meetings with them
o Diving into the report on LGBTQ+ funds to orgs from the City
• Medium term (next 18 months)
o Discuss next time
• Long term (next 3 years)
o Discuss next time
Presentations / Guest Speakers
• Presenter: Chris Maitland
• Topic: Columbus Public Health work with LGBTQ+ Community
• Columbus Franklin County Addiction Plan report (slides attached)
o Plan was established in 2017
o Coalition of members with goal of reducing substance use overdoses
o Three main targets, reduce overdose deaths, reduce overdose rates, reduce Hepatitis C transmission
o New plan launching in 2026
§ New goal, decrease the disparity gap in deaths
o International Overdose Awareness Day
Next Meeting
Date: October 6th
Time: 6-7:30 p.m.
Location: Asa & Christine will determine location
Adjournment