On Wednesday, an Ohio House of Representatives committee held its first hearing on a bill to establish a hate crimes law in Ohio.
One co-sponsor specifically stated that the bill does not include protections for transgender Ohioans. It is a matter of debate whether sexual orientation would be a protected category.
HB306 aims to “prohibit hate crimes and create a civil remedy for a person who is terrorized by another person because of particular characteristics or beliefs.” People who commit a hate crime can be fined up to $25,000.
The bill’s primary sponsors are Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.). The bipartisan bill has 26 co-sponsors: 15 Republicans and 11 Democrats.
The specific characteristics or beliefs that are protected are:
- Political affiliation
- Race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry
- Age, family status, military status or disability
- The position of a person in a labor dispute
- The feeling that a person has any of the above characteristics or beliefs.
A question of inclusion
Sexual orientation is not mentioned anywhere in the bill, and the Ohio Legislative Services Commission – a nonpartisan agency that provides Ohio lawmakers with summaries and analyzes of bills – did not include sexual orientation as a protected class in its bill. bill summary.
However, MP Williams specifically mentioned sexual orientation in his testimony.
“This bill states that no person may lawfully terrorize another person because of their political affiliation, religious background, sexual orientation, disability or even perception of such characteristics,” Williams said.
Congressman Jarrells did not include sexual orientation in his testimony, mentioning protected classes in his testimony, but he previously stated that sexual orientation includes the word “sex,” which confirms Bostock v. Clayton County decision in the field of labor law.
“We really intentionally wanted to make sure this bill reflected an inclusive interpretation,” Jarrells told The Buckeye Flame in June. “But do it in a way that the bill is not politicized, because hate is hate whether you are black, white, Jewish, religious or gay.”
Trans exclusion
Rep. Williams has made clear that HB 306 will not protect transgender Ohioans from hate crimes.
During the subsequent hearing a bill increasing penalties for politically motivated crimesRep. Eric Synenberg (D-Beachwood) said he supported HB 306 but wondered why there were no protections for transgender Ohioans.
“It’s obvious that this is one group, one main identity [not included]– said Synenberg.
“I don’t believe that someone who can change something about themselves on a whim, on a daily basis, is constitutionally protected,” Williams said.
Williams then said he “didn’t see a lot of violence, threats of violence, or murders [of transgender people]other than national news.”
Data from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles can be seen that transgender people are more than four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime.
Williams further argued that there was a “high prevalence” and “record numbers” of trans people “committing violence against people because of their perceived political beliefs.” He provided no evidence or data to support this claim.
New data ranks Ohio among the states with the most anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in the country in 2025.
GLAAD’s ALERT Desk reported 50 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in Ohio, the fourth highest number of incidents in the nation – behind California, New Hampshire and Texas. All incidents included explicit mention of anti-LGBTQ hate as a motivating factor. 🔥
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- Buckeye Flame Ohio’s 2025 LGBTQ+ Legislation Guide can be found here.
- To register to vote or check your eligibility to vote in Ohio, click here.
- To find the contact information for your Ohio State Representative, click here.
- To find contact information for an Ohio State Senator, click here.
