Ohio foundations step up to fund LGBTQ+ college services shut down by SB1

With Ohio Senate Bill 1 prompting the closure of many university LGBTQ+ centers this spring, college students are bracing themselves to return to campus this August with reduced resources and heightened concerns for their sense of belonging and overall safety.

SB1, or the Enact Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, was introduced by Republican state Sen. Jerry Cirino in February 2025. After swiftly passing the Senate and House, the bill was signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine in March 2025. 

As the bill demands a halt to all diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Ohio’s public higher education institutions, schools started eliminating resources and shutting down valuable programs within weeks. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ centers were inevitably some of the first to go.

Ohio University announced the closure of its Pride Center, along with their Multicultural Center and Women’s Center, in late April. Similarly, Kent State University (KSU) announced the closure of its LGBTQ Center in early June.

These closures caused upset and backlash among many Ohio residents and organizations. In response, two county-specific community foundations are taking direct action to combat the loss of LGBTQ+ support.

The Portage Foundation and the Athens County Foundation have each created new initiatives supporting LGBTQ+ students and locals.

The Portage Foundation established an LGBTQ+ fund that aims to pool resources that will allow for the replication of KSU’s LGBTQ+ Center services. The fund will connect students to existing LGBTQ+ programs in Portage County, and provide emergency assistance to LGBTQ+ students and community members in need.

Janice Simmons-Mortimer, director of the Portage Foundation, reflects that many community members expressed disappointment in the loss of KSU’s LGBTQ+ center, and inquired about the foundation’s ability to remedy some of these losses with the help of community funding and support.

“SB1 had a tremendous impact on colleges and universities, and as the news reported specific centers closing – specifically at Kent State here in Portage County – we had multiple community  members reach out to us asking to do something, and as a community foundation, that’s the core of what we do,” says Simmons-Mortimer.

The Portage Foundation’s LGBTQ+ Fund has been up and running for several weeks now, receiving several thousand dollars of funding to date in advance of their disbursement process. 

Although KSU is the major college presence in that region of Ohio, the Portage Foundation has said that their LGBTQ+ Fund extends beyond KSU students, serving as a resource for all LGBTQ+ students in Portage County and LGBTQ+ students attending college in bordering counties as well.

In Southeast Ohio, the Athens County Foundation has established an initiative similar to the Portage County LGBTQ+ fund – the Athens County Pride Fund.

The Athens county fund will provide resources to nearby nonprofit organizations and public agencies devoted to supporting the LGBTQ+ community through outreach and event programming.

“In light of today’s environment, we know many small nonprofits and grassroots groups are stepping up to support the LGBTQ+ community, and those efforts require increased resources,” said Kerry Pigman, director of the Athens County Foundation.

The Athens County Pride Fund has provided resources and support to locals for several weeks now.

“Our local donors care deeply about this work, and the Pride Fund creates a pathway to link their support directly with the organizations making a difference on the ground,” Pigman said. 🔥  

IGNITE ACTION

If you’d like to support the Portage County LGBTQ+ Fund, click here.

If you’d like to support the Athens County Pride Fund, click here.