Youngstown has a new law to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The nonprofit group Equality Ohio helped the city create the laws.
Grant Stancliff is the communications director at Equality Ohio and says that Youngstown now has the gold standard of LGBT protection.
“I’m heartened to see that cities in Ohio are taking the step to say, as a community ‘we’re welcoming and affirming of LGBTQ people.’ Right now in most parts of Ohio, and we’re talking about 80% of Ohio, it’s legal generally to fire somebody or kick somebody out of their apartment just because they’re LGBTQ.”
Youngstown is now the 16th city in Ohio to protect its LGBT citizens from discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and credit access.