BG City Council member introduces legislation tackling reproductive discrimination
The legislation wasn’t up for a vote, tonight.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — It was three months and one week ago when Roe v. Wade was overturned, returning power to decide reproductive rights back to the state level. And tonight, a member of Bowling Green City Council is hoping to prevent any discrimination based on people’s sexual and reproductive health decisions.
Councilman Nick Rubando introduced the legislation for the first time, during tonight’s routine meeting of council.
“This is an ordinance that is going to amend and adopt language in our non-discrimination ordinance that is going to better define the term ‘on the basis of sex.’ So this is gonna help protect reproductive freedom for women and people who could become pregnant in our city, but not only that, it also protects the rights of people who are already pregnant,” said Rubando of BG’s First Ward.
But as the legislation was being introduced, Rubando faced questions from one of his colleagues: at-large councilman Greg Robinette.
“Do you know how many complaints have been made against this chapter since it was first adopted,” Robinette asked.
Rubando responded: “I do not know that information. But I would say that, you know, are there no complaints against it because it’s out there? Are people not discriminating against individuals because they know that Bowling Green has an ordinance that ensures that people don’t discriminate against individuals?”
Robinette went on to point out that the current ordinance includes 25 protected classes. While a vote may not have been taken on this tonight, there could, however, be one in the coming weeks. This was just a reading, which did receive support from some community members.
“Defining words like ‘sex’ in our own legislation is a way that we can create a safe, inclusive, welcoming, and secure community for those students who may feel a little left out, just because of the situations that they’re put in,” expressed Emily Gerome, vice president of the organization ‘BGSU Democrats.’
