Ohio part of suit over LGBTQ anti-discrimination rules
“I will always defend the rights of our citizens to be a part of the legislative process and work to stop the abuses of a recalcitrant administrative state determined to bypass them.”
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and 19 other Republican attorneys general are suing the federal government in an effort to overturn anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ and transgender people established under President Joe Biden.
The lawsuit, spearheaded by Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III, targets an executive order issued by Biden that instructed agencies to ensure their rules prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The move reversed action by former President Donald Trump, whose administration said LGBTQ students weren’t protected by federal law.
As a result, the federal Department of Education announced in June that gay and transgender students are protected under Title IX, which bars sex discrimination in schools. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also outlined guidance that guards LGBTQ employees against discrimination, citing a 2020 Supreme Court decision that found employers can’t fire people for being gay or transgender.
In a statement, Yost said the suit isn’t driven by the “wisdom of the administration’s policy” and argued that the agencies didn’t have the authority to change the law. He also disputed the EEOC’S interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling, saying it doesn’t require employers to adopt practices related to dress codes or bathroom access.
“Rule by administrative overreach may seem convenient, but tossing the process our Constitution requires will inevitably trample the liberties of our most vulnerable,” he said. “I will always
Dave Yost Ohio attorney general
defend the rights of our citizens to be a part of the legislative process and work to stop the abuses of a recalcitrant administrative state determined to bypass them.”
The lawsuit comes as advocates in Ohio push for a statewide measure that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations. They’re also working to beat back a proposal that would prevent transgender girls from joining female sports teams in high school and college.
Meanwhile, over 1,000 businesses across the state have thrown their support behind adding nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people to Ohio law.
“It’s a shame that, as Ohio pushes for economic recovery and to keep residents safe in an historic pandemic, Attorney General Yost is deciding to spend our precious government resources fighting for the right to discriminate,” said Maria Bruno, the public policy director for Equality Ohio. “AG Yost’s decision to participate in this misguided lawsuit against LGBTQ+ people pushes Ohio down the wrong path.”
Haley Bemiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.