A city council president in the Ohio town of Celina has helped engineer support for a statewide ban on drag performances. He also happens to be the brother-in-law of the state representative championing the statewide drag ban.
Celina Mayor Jeffrey Hazel said recently that Jason King, brother-in-law of state Rep. Angie King, helped engineer a city council resolution supporting HB 245, a bill that would ban drag performances in public spaces throughout Ohio. Angie King is co-sponsor of HB 245 and a resident of Celina, in west-central Ohio.
If passed, the bill would ban drag performances in locations other than “adult cabaret.” Individuals could face felony charges, depending on whether a juvenile is in attendance or the performance is considered “obscene,” a subjective determination. This bill has 41 Republican co-sponsors.
Until now, Celina City Council has zero history of passing non-binding resolutions supporting statewide bills.
For his part, the city-council-president-brother-in-law refuses to own his role in pushing this drag ban resolution forward.
First and Second Reading
On January 8, Celina City Council held a first reading of the resolution.
The text indicates that the resolution “is offered to aid State Representatives as a testament of support” and that said support “would be forwarded to the Ohio House of Representatives through Representative Angie King.”
Councilman Myron Buxton attempted to table the motion.
“We just received this tonight,” Buxton said.
The motion to table failed, and Buxton’s six fellow councilmen voted to move the resolution onto a second reading. Buxton abstained.
At Monday’s meeting, Councilman Thomas Sanford directed council to a November 14 House hearing to gain a “more full understanding of [HB 245].” That hearing solely consisted of sponsor testimony from state Reps. King and Josh Williams (R-Oregon).
Councilman Mark Fleck said the bill “isn’t against any specific gender.”
The bill specifically calls out drag performers by referencing “performers or entertainers who exhibit a gender identity that is different from the performer’s or entertainer’s gender assigned at birth, using clothing, makeup, prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts, or other physical markers.”
Celina City Council passed the resolution’s second reading by a vote of 6-1. Buxton was the lone vote against the resolution. It now moves on to a third and final reading on February 12.
The Buckeye Flame reached out to Buxton for comment and this piece will be updated if a response is received.
But who brought the resolution forward?
Shortly after the first reading, The Buckeye Flame reached out to Mayor Jeffrey Hazel and City Council President Jason King with only one question: Who brought the resolution forward for consideration?
King responded within a few hours.
“Administration put it together at the request of some council members,” King wrote.
The Buckeye Flame asked again, “Which council members?” King did not respond.
We then submitted a public records request to the Celina Law Director George Moore for all communication related to the resolution. Copies of emails that Moore submitted back to The Buckeye Flame revealed that Mayor Hazel drafted the resolution, but did not indicate which council members asked him to do so.
Given that no council members were named in the electronic communication, The Buckeye Flame reached out again to King to clarify. King responded that same day.
“Not everything is communicated via email or text. I cannot confirm which members for sure may have spoken with the mayor, which is what likely occurred,” King wrote.
We then asked directly, “Did YOU bring this forward?”
King did not respond and has not responded to any subsequent communication.
For his part, the mayor tried to provide clarity, confirming to The Daily Standard that King asked him to bring the resolution to council, alongside council members Fleck, Eric Baltzell and Eric Clausen
‘Nepotism is Alive and Well’
Arienne Childrey, a candidate challenging Angie King in the November election, said the local community is not fooled by the actions of the council.
Childrey was recently successful in her fight to keep her name on the ballot after local Republicans tried to have her disqualified for not listing her deadname on her paperwork. She said that the Celina resolution – and Council President King’s part in pushing it forward – sends a clear message to the LGBTQ+ community that they are not welcome in Celina.
“Nepotism is alive and well in Celina, as Jason King—President of Celina City Council and brother-in-law of Rep. Angie King—pushes this resolution, supporting HB 245,” Childrey said. “This piece of political theatre will undoubtedly be utilized by Rep. King, as she continues her attempts to marginalize Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community.”
The Mercer County Democratic Party has condemned the resolution, saying that HB 245 is unconstitutional and unenforceable.
“Acceptance and progress are inevitable. Just because you don’t want drag to exist doesn’t mean you can legislate it away,” said Sophia Rodriguez, Mercer County Democratic Party Chair. “Be careful who you hate; it might be someone you love.” 🔥
IGNITE ACTION
- Contact the Celina City Council by going here to let them know your thoughts on pushing forward this resolution.
- The Mercer County Leaders for Equity Access and Diversity PAC is sponsoring a letter-writing campaign for those who want to express their disapproval of this resolution. More info here.
This article has been updated to reflect the correct next Celina City Council of February 12th.
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