Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on July 15. It was republished and updated to include that applications for the commission are now open.
Columbus City Council voted to form an LGBTQ+ Affairs Commission during a regular meeting on Monday, July 14, becoming the second city in Ohio to do so.
Council President Shannon Hardin sponsored the ordinance which received unanimous support from the rest of the Council. The goal of the commission is to advise the Council and mayor’s office on how policies can affect the city’s LGBTQ+ community, while also recommending legislation to further social, economic and political equality.
Hardin thanked people who attended the city’s public hearing last Thursday to give testimony in support of the commission. The city, however, received “hateful testimony” against Columbus becoming a more inclusive community, Hardin said.
“There is still work to be done, and there [are] still fights to be had,” he said.
The commission will have 13 volunteer members. The mayor and council will each choose six commission members from a pool of applicants and together will select a chairperson.
One-third of the commission will be up for re-appointment every year. Members will meet at least quarterly.
At a press conference in June, Hardin promised that the commission members would represent the “full diversity of Columbus.”
Applications for the positions opened on Sept. 15 until Tuesday, Oct. 14. According to a release, applicants must be 18-years-old or older, reside within the City of Columbus and complete a background check after they are selected. Columbus City Council and the Mayor’s Office will jointly review applications and appoint members by the end of the year.
Columbus follows in the footsteps of Cincinnati, which was the first Ohio city to establish such an LGBTQ+ city commission. Cincinnati approved their ordinance on June 11 but has not yet appointed any members. 🔥
IGNITE ACTION
- To find more information on Columbus City Council, visit their webpage here.
- Applications are open until Tuesday, Oct. 14. Questions about the commission or application process can be sent to LGBTQCommission@columbus.gov. To apply, click here.
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