Explanation
This ordinance enacts a new chapter of the Columbus City Codes, Chapter 179, to establish the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Affairs Commission. The Commission will be comprised of 13 members. Some of the duties of the Commission include to:
1. Draft and distribute an annual report of its actions;
2. Serve as an advisory body to Council and the Mayor on issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community;
3. Recommend to Council and the Mayor measures designed to enhance the health, safety, economic opportunity, affordability, and mobility of members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as to enhance cultural and learning opportunities, access to government, and government accountability on matters pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community;
4. Coordinate and participate in educational programs to promote equal treatment, opportunity, and understanding of persons within the LGBTQ+ community and facilitate gatherings such as meetings, institutes, fora, or courses of instruction designed to lead to greater understanding and crafting of solutions for matters concerning the LGBTQ+ community.
Title
To enact Chapter 179 of the Columbus City Codes to establish the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Affairs Commission.
Body
WHEREAS, members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community have demonstrated intrinsic value and immeasurable contributions to the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law's Williams Institute estimates that 4.3% of people in Ohio identify as LGBTQ+; and
WHEREAS, according to The Trevor Project's 2024 U.S. National Survey of the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, "90% of LGBTQ+ young people said their wellbeing was negatively impacted due to recent politics;" and
WHEREAS, nearly half of the National Institutes of Health grants canceled through early May of this year (totaling over $800 million) addressed the health of sexu...
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