Yes, you can still be fired for being gay, even in America Jimmie Beall
However, such protections are still not available under federal law or throughout Ohio, where 1 in 18 residents identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.
Despite the hardships we endured when I was wrongfully fired, Mindy, my partner of 15 years, and I were elated finally to wed legally after the Supreme Court approved marriage equality nearly three years ago. We had made it our annual tradition to go down to the courthouse every Valentine’s Day and apply for a marriage license. After a decade of returning empty-handed, in 2016 with our two children by our side, we became the family we had always been in our hearts.
And yet, even as a legally married couple, discrimination still threatens our family’s safety and stability daily. Now, with the lawsuit more than a decade behind us and our children off in college, I finally feel that I’m in a place where I can tell this story to the nation.
We only want the same rights that all Americans should have — to live and work free of the fear that our lives can be upended by discrimination. Part of the challenge to achieving this American dream is the widespread misperception that such discrimination is illegal. Eighty percent of Americans still believe it’s illegal to fire, evict or refuse service to someone because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Meanwhile, LGBT Americans report they are facing increased discrimination — in GLAAD’S 2018 Accelerating Acceptance survey, 55 percent of LGBT Americans said they have experienced discrimination in the past year, up 11 percentage points from the previous year.
Many people who learn of my story approach me to say they, too, have experienced discrimination. Mindy and I decided to tell our story, to do our part to be the change we want to see in the world, by participating in a new nationwide public service campaign from the Ad Council and the Gill Foundation called “Beyond I Do.” Because as important as the marriage equality victory was, it’s vital for everyone to understand that discrimination is still hurting families across the country.
One important lesson I learned through my experience is that my fellow teachers, parents and neighbors don’t believe I should be treated differently just because I’m a lesbian. I do have to stand for what’s right, but I’m not standing alone.