Letter of Support for EHEA

Dear Ohio Legislature:

As clergy representing a broad spectrum of religious traditions from across Ohio, we unite our voices to urge you to pass HB176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA), and ensure everyone in Ohio has equal access to employment, housing and public accommodations. Your support of EHEA is the just and right thing to do and it would align Ohio’s laws with Ohio’s values.

We provide for identification purposes only our denominational backgrounds because, as religious leaders, we can speak only for ourselves and not entire congregations or communities. But each of us clearly embraces the call to love and respect one another.

To fire someone from their job, or to deny a person housing or other public
accommodations simply because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender--or even straight, for that matter--does not pass the litmus test of the Golden Rule, nor does it treat our neighbors and fellow citizens with the dignity, kindness, justice and respect to which our faith traditions aspire.

Ohio law already bans such injustice based upon race, gender, age, disability, ethnicity, national origin and religion. We believe all people should be given equal protection under the law.

We acknowledge that people of faith often hold very divergent views regarding the theological, biblical, and ethical issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.

However, we submit that it is imperative to maintain and assert our cherished and unique American value of religious liberty for all of our citizens, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people as well as those individuals and religious institutions whose convictions are not supportive of or comfortable with GLBT inclusion. Religious liberty in America demands that one particular religious conviction not be allowed to deny equal rights and protections to those of differing beliefs.

In a time of profound crisis Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "The ultimate question for the responsible person is not how he might heroically extricate himself from the affair; the ultimate question is how the coming generation is to live." His question applies to many challenging situations, including your action to do what’s already been done by twenty-one other states, 433 of America's Fortune 500 companies, and sixteen Ohio cities.

Please support HB176. Act now to help create an Ohio where everyone feels at home; where core values of equality, diversity and inclusiveness are universally honored; and where government stands for fairness to all people.

In Faith,
Rt. Rev. Isaac L. Kramer
Bishop of the Interfaith Diocese of Ohio