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Ohio Employers Among Best in Nation for LGBTQ Inclusion Benefits

Cleveland will have a gay pride festival after all following cancelation of the city's annual event.
Quinn Dombrowski
Cleveland will have a gay pride festival after all following cancelation of the city's annual event.
Cleveland will have a gay pride festival after all following cancelation of the city's annual event.
Credit Quinn Dombrowski
Ohio employers are among the best in the nation when it comes to adopting LGBTQ inclusion benefits.

Ohio is one of the nation’s leading states when it comes to equal treatment in the workplace in terms of sexual identity.

The Human Rights Campaign released its 2018 Corporate Equality Index, which looks at LGBTQ inclusion in major companies and law firms. 32 Ohio employers took part in the survey, getting an average score of 91 percent.

Deena Fidas, one of the study’s authors, says there are four specific criteria that go into determining an employer’s score.

“Number one, consistent non-discrimination protection. Number two, equitable benefits, so including spousal and domestic partner benefits and also transgender-inclusive health-care coverage. Number three, in terms of the criteria, internal training, education and accountability around LGBT inclusion. And lastly, public engagement with the community.”

Fidas says Ohio’s major employers have been leaders in adopting LGBTQ inclusion benefits since the group’s work began in 2002.

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Ryan is a senior multimedia journalism student at Kent State University with experience in print and radio journalism. He is working toward a Bachelor's Degree in Multimedia Journalism. During the school year, Landolph works for Kent State Student Media with Black Squirrel Radio, where he is a sports director and radio host. Additionally, Landolph covers Cleveland sports for FanSided's Factory of Sadness.