CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — In an effort to better protect the LGBTQ community, the city of Cleveland Heights passed several pieces of legislation.
In addition to the benches, a rainbow crosswalk in front of Cleveland Heights High School also recently was added in support of the LGBTQ community.
“Ohio is working on some pretty devastating legislation. In part, they'd like for us to restrict our ability to reach young people where they are, to help them become who they truly are,” Seren said.
Seren said he and members of city council have been working to change that at a local level with several pieces of legislation that were passed during Tuesday's meeting.
The policies, which Seren signed into law, range from banning discrimination by those contracted with the city, to banning conversion therapy and expanding parental leave for city employees.
“I think that it's really important that we're taking this step to make sure that our people know where we stand, that this community embraces everybody,” Seren said.
The first recently-passed ordinance expands the city’s rules against discrimination. It prohibits those contracting with the city from discriminating against any person based upon the person's age, race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
“There are a wide variety of contracts and different types of participation that the city engages in with businesses where our code is silent,” Seren said.
Another ordinance opens up parental rights to mothers and fathers who adopt or foster.
“People who are not giving birth, people who are adopting, people who are fostering kids, we wanted to include them," Seren said. "And so we're changing that from maternity leave to parental leave and childbirth leave to provide parents of all types that really important bonding time with their children."
A third ordinance bans the use of conversion therapy, a practice that attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
“They’re trying to force kids into other boxes that they don't fit in, force kids back into closets,”Seren said.
Kenyon Farrow, a Cleveland Heights resident and openly-gay man, said the legislation is long overdue, though much more work still needs to be done.
“I’m really happy that Cleveland Heights took the steps that it needed to take to ensure in whatever ways that it can that Cleveland Heights still remains a place that is welcoming and accepting,” Farrow said.
Seren said he's glad this legislation was able to get passed in the month of June to coincide with Pride Month.
“The resolutions are a statement of support for inclusion, support for equity and justice,” he said.