Council President Ginther to Join GLBT Community, Allies for 2012 Pride Parade

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COLUMBUSCITY COUNCILMEDIARELEASE
ForImmediate Release: June 14, 2012JohnIvanic
Council President Ginther to JoinGLBT Community, Allies for 2012 Pride Parade
City Councilrecognized as an ally in the fight for equality
(Columbus)--Stonewall Columbus is proud toannounce that Columbus City Council President Andrew J. Ginther has been namedthe group’s Government Ally of the Year and will be leading the 2012 PrideParade Saturday, June 16^th.  The theme of the 2012 PrideFestival is “Allies and Equality” which will also help celebrate the City’sBicentennial.
"We are honored to have our council President lead the parade and march with us this year as an ally and friend of the LGBTcommunity. The efforts that Ginther and our City Council have made to makeColumbus an inclusive city have changed the lives of our LGBT citizens inColumbus and we are extremely grateful for their support," stated KarlaRothan, Executive Director of Stonewall Columbus.
In 2008,Ginther helped lead an effort to add sex, sexual orientation, gender identityor expression to the list of protected classes under the Columbus City Code,making it illegal to discriminate on this basis in Columbus. Subsequently, thesame anti-discrimination clause was incorporated into the City’s equalopportunity policy, effectively prohibiting this type of discrimination by anyprivate or public entity which does business with the City.
In 2010,Columbus City Council unanimously supported legislation championed by Gintherwhich extended City benefits to the domestic partnersof City employees. In an effort to ensure access to these same benefitsand other basic rights for all Columbus residents, Ginther, along withCouncilmember Zach Klein and 2012 Pride Grand Marshall Columbus Mayor MichaelB. Coleman, announced a proposal to establish a domestic partner registry inColumbus.
“I amproud to march with the GLBT community and other allies to celebrate theopenness and inclusiveness that makes Columbus so special,” said CouncilPresident Andrew J. Ginther. “The City’s Bicentennial is a perfect opportunityto reflect on the progress we’ve made toward equal rights, while redoubling ourefforts to end discrimination in every form.”
Ginther hasalso joined the effort to develop a unified front on the issue of marriageequality in Ohio.  He is leading a group of elected leaders to create atransparent and strategic campaign to end marriage discrimination in Ohio.-30-