The city of Whitehall has joined a growing list of cities in Ohio that have passed pro-LGBTQ+ legislation and is one of more than a dozen municipalities to ban conversion therapy for minors.
Whitehall’s City Council unanimously passed a hefty anti-discrimination ordinance on Aug. 19.
“We are grateful for local leaders like Whitehall City Council for taking a stand! We are reminded that the most significant and direct change that we can achieve happens at the local level,” Equality Ohio, a statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, wrote on social media.
The new Whitehall ordinance adds 19 new pages of rules and definitions prohibiting employment and housing discrimination, as well as a ban on conversion therapy for minors. Mental health professionals are not allowed to do “any practices or treatments that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity,” regardless of if they are paid or not.
Groups representing health care and mental health professionals have condemned conversion therapy.
“Sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts present additional, preventable risk factors to LGBT youth, a group that is already at heightened risk for suicide,” reads a joint statement from a coalition of organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association and the Child Welfare League of America.
People who have experienced discrimination within the city of Whitehall can file a complaint with the city clerk within 180 days. If the city attorney or someone else they designate finds that discrimination happened, the violator could owe a civil penalty of up to $2,500 as well as hearing costs and attorney fees.
Earlier this year, Westerville also passed a conversion therapy ban with a 5-2 vote.
Anna Lynn Winfrey covers the western suburbs for The Columbus Dispatch. She can be reached at awinfrey@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Whitehall council passes conversion therapy ban, adds non-discrimination rules
Reporting by Anna Lynn Winfrey, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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