Rights group launches tour in Ohio to fight 'anti-LGBTQ+ attacks,' announces web show

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Human Rights Campaign, the country's largest LGBTQ+ rights group, kicked off its national tour in Columbus this week and announced a new web series amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies, including Congresswoman Joyce Beatty.

The "American Dreams Tour" hosted several Columbus events on Wednesday and Thursday, as part of the campaign's months-long effort "to elevate LGBTQ+ stories, push back against rising political attacks, and build a more inclusive future." Running through November, the tour is traveling to Republican-led states amid a wave of "anti-LGBTQ+" legislation, like gender-affirming care bans for transgender youth and restrictions on certain library books.

HRC said the tour is beginning "in the heartland to honor Ohio's legacy of queer and activism and highlight the ongoing threats facing LGBTQ+ people," showcasing Columbus "as a city with deep LGBTQ+ roots and an urgent present-fight."

"It is so powerful to be here in Ohio, especially knowing the history of this state. ... This is one of those states that's really emblematic of the experience of queer people in the country," said Kelley Robinson, president of HRC, in an interview with NBC4. "I'm excited to be here because I think in Ohio we can tell the story of the harms that people are experiencing, but also the hope that really exists in ever part of the state."

HRC's Columbus events during the two-day stop included a roundtable discussion at Columbus City Hall with City Council President Shannon Hardin, who recently led the effort to create a new LGBTQ+ affairs commission. The group also took part in a community celebration with Beatty, a "Voices for Equality" storytelling training session, and a kitchen table conversation with Stonewall Columbus, Kaleidoscope Youth Center and other Ohio LGBTQ+ advocates.

The tour comes as HRC is readying to launch "Our American Dreams," a coinciding YouTube series amplifying LGBTQ+ stories, voices and values nationwide. Episodes will feature advocates and public officials like songwriter David Archuleta and Beatty alongside LGBTQ+ families, students, teachers, experts, and other elected officials, "all united in the belief that the American Dream is only possible when everyone gets to live their lives authentically, freely and equitably," HRC said.

As many institutions withdraw their support for the LGBTQ+ community, "this is our time to share the stories that give us hope again," said Robinson. These stories remind us, she said, "that even in the crisis moment that we're in, we have seen this before and we have the tools, especially as queer folks and trans folks of color, to move through this moment."

"These aren't scripted moments, these aren't talking points. ... At the end of the day, what we hope to do is share stories that inspire and ignite people," said Robinson. "These sorts of storytelling efforts we know can change lives, so that's why we're engaging and investing in this particular series because we think there's a real opportunity, in a moment when people are looking for hope."

"This county is ours, our stories are ours and we're gonna claim it and we're gonna own it," Robinson continued. "I truly believe that pride and patriotism, they go hand-in-hand. Everything that queer folks have done for this nation, for our communities, it's palpable, it's part of the American experience and we're going to tell those stories."

That storytelling is also critical as "we're seeing historic backslide on rights," said Robinson. In Ohio, legislation deemed "anti-LGBTQ+" includes a provision in the state budget defining gender as two sexes, a law banning certain healthcare for trans youth, and a bill to celebrate "Natural Family Month." The Statehouse has also approved a measure to set separate bathrooms based on students' "biological sex," and is considering a proposal that LGBTQ+ advocates say will outlaw drag queen shows in public.

HRC cited a recent report that said LGBTQ+ people are at "high risk" of facing inequality in Ohio given the state is not home to law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in housing or public accommodations. In addition, the Buckeye State has failed to install a ban on anti-LGBTQ+ conversion therapy and has not removed antiquated HIV criminalization laws passed in the 1980s. 

While Ohio is home to Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court case legalizing marriage equality, the legislature has also been reluctant to overturn a dormant same-sex marriage ban that would be reenacted if the court ever overturned the decision.

"I truly believe that in this country, as is true in this state, a majority of people are not inherently anti-LGBTQ+, a majority of people are not against equality," said Robinson. "What's happening is, they're being feed a steady diet of misinformation and lies and the way to combat that is by telling our stories, connecting on our values. And we know that our stories, that don't just make people feel differently about issues, they make them act differently, too."

HRC's other tour stops include Las Vegas; Washington, D.C.; Dallas; Atlanta; and Nashville, Tennessee. Additional stops will be announced in the coming weeks. Learn more about the tour and the upcoming web series on AmericanDreamsHRC.org.