LGBT rights in Ohio

LGBT rights in Ohio
Ohio (USA)
Status	Legal since 1974
Gender identity	State does since December 2020, allow change of sex on birth certificates for transgender people[1]
Discrimination protections	Protections in employment; several municipalities have passed further protections
Family rights
Recognition of relationships	Same-sex marriage since 2015
Adoption	Same-sex couples allowed to adopt

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Ohio enjoy most of the same rights as non-LGBT people. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Ohio since 1974, and same-sex marriage has been legally recognized since June 2015 as a result of Obergefell v. Hodges.^[2] Ohio statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal in 2020. In addition, a number of Ohio cities (including Athens, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton and Toledo) have passed anti-discrimination ordinances providing protections in housing and public accommodations. Conversion therapy is also banned in a number of cities. In December 2020, a federal judge invalidated a law banning sex changes on an individual's birth certificate within Ohio.^[1]

Recent opinion polls have shown that LGBT rights enjoy popular support in the state. A 2016 Public Religion Research Institute survey showed that 61% of Ohio residents supported same-sex marriage. Another survey by the same pollster in 2019 showed that 71% of respondents favored non-discrimination laws protecting LGBT people.^[3]