REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio ― The city of Reynoldsburg became the 31st Ohio municipality to pass antidiscrimination protections for LGBTQ citizens, and also has banned discrimination based on hairstyle. 

What You Need To Know


  • Reynoldsburg, an eastern Columbus suburb, voted to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance on June 21

  • The city bans discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations for protected classes, including gender identity and sexual orientation 

  • The ordinance also bans discrimination based on hair texture

  • The council and city goovernment makeup changed in 2019 to include more diverse representation and shifting power to Democrats

Councilwoman Shanette Strickland tells Spectrum News 1 it was time for Reynoldsburg to protect its citizens.

“Being an African American woman and experiencing the discrimination,” said Strickland, one of three Black women elected to Reynoldsburg City Council last year. “People wondering where I come from because my hair is natural, the texture of my hair or the fullness of my lips.”

And it may seem timely, but fellow councilwoman Kristin Bryant says the new ordinance passed in Reynoldsburg on June 22 was two years in the making. And, because of new voices on the council like Strickland, the city’s new law goes even further. 

"It’s my belief that nobody’s trying to get anything special. We’re just trying to put everybody on the same level with the same rights, the same, you know, treatment."

Bryant says she ran with a campaign promise to pass LGBTQ protections back in 2017.

“I had somebody say that we shouldn’t have to legislate this,” said Bryant, who is a criminal defense attorney. “And we shouldn’t. We should treat people with respect no matter who they are. But unfortunately, that’s not the world we’re living in.”

But when she and another councilmember introduced the bill before, it went nowhere.

“Unfortunately it died in committee and we knew we were going to need some reinforcements on the council,” said Bryant. 

Bryant says getting the bill passed took a changing of the guard. Reynoldsburg citizens elected four new councilmembers, a new city attorney, and a new mayor  last year. All of the newly-elected officials were Democrats, and the city elected more officials of color than ever in the city’s history.

“We put together a slate of great candidates for 2019 and all of them were successful,” said Bryant. “And we even had a mailer for them leading up to the 2019 election stating our commitment to passing an antidiscrimination ordinance in Reynoldsburg.”

In the June 22 council meeting,  the city council finally passed their nondiscrimination ordinance with a unanimous vote over video conference. 

“It comes in the same time as the Supreme Court ruling last week that the LGBTQ community is actually a recognized, protected class,” said Mayor Joe Begeny. 

The new ordinance protects people from discrimination in housing, employment and public accomodations based on factors like race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Begeny says he wants the city to live up to its motto.

“And this just takes this a step further to include multiple nationalities, multiple issues, all the way across,” said Begeny, a former teacher and school board president. “And, that’s the important thing― that everyone is equal and that we are going to be the city of respect for everyone.”

Not only protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination, but also prohibiting bias and discrimination based on hair type. 

“It is a real concern out here for some women and some men because of the way that they wear their hair,” said Strickland. “Or, just being an African American in the city of Reynoldsburg.”

Councilwoman Strickland says she was happy to be a part of change. The city also commemorated LGBTQ Pride and Juneteenth for the first time this year. 

“Celebrating Pride Month, celebrating Juneteenth,” says Strickland. “To me, this is something. I’m still having to pinch myself at times because we never experienced anything like this in Reynoldsburg.”