The Dayton, Ohio, city commission voted three to one on Wednesday to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected groups under its antidiscrimination law. One commission member abstained from voting, the Dayton Daily News reported. The change becomes effective 30 days after the vote.
"The [city commission] is keeping Dayton on the cutting edge," Roger McKay, president and founder of Diversity Dayton said to the Daily News. "This shows the city wants to be inclusive."
Dayton mayor Rhine McLin announced that the adjustment to the statute was the right thing to do. "Justice delayed is justice denied," McLin said.
According to the Daily News, the city will be the 15th municipality in the state to add protections for LGBT citizens in its antidiscrimination laws.
Local ministers called the move flawed, saying there had not been enough dialogue leading up to the vote. Leaders from Ohio's Stonewall Democrats met with each of the commissioners over the summer. By mid October, the commission received a draft of the proposed law change, Tony Ballis, president of Dayton Stonewall Democrats, said in the article.