LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Lakewood has long been known as one of Ohio’s most inclusive cities—and this week, leaders doubled down on that reputation.
The city recently earned a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign and approved a Gender Freedom Policy last month.
"So our goal, ever since we were founded back in 1975, has always been about space making when no other spaces essentially exist,” said Elizabeth Katavich, the Lead Advocacy Coordinator with the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.
At the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, being a safe space has always been their mission—but they say it’s more important now than ever.
"As of right now, our federal administration, our state legislature, everything, but I think our local municipalities, for the most part, have definitely made it their top initiative to try to restrict and limit and prohibit LGBT people's identity in any way humanly possible,” said Katavich.
What gives center members hope are cities like Lakewood. Not only was Lakewood given a perfect 100% score this month by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation—which rates how cities support LGBTQ+ residents—but they also recently passed a Gender Freedom Policy.
"The gender freedom policy is a policy that deprioritizes the use of city resources for things that would endanger the rights of our transgender community members,” said Sarah Kepple, Lakewood City Council President.
Parts of the policy—written by Lakewood City Council President Sarah Kepple and Councilwoman Cindy Strebig—include:
- Continuing support for employees seeking gender-affirming care, even if the state makes it illegal, and they must seek it out of state
- Not cooperating with investigations into those seeking that care
- Protecting drag performances and gender expression to the fullest extent possible.
"If the state says this is illegal for you to wear the clothes you want to wear, we'll get to prosecuting that right after we've investigated every jaywalker and found every lost dog got,” Kepple continued, “We have a lot of real needs in Lakewood, things like making sure our residents can have safe and affordable housing, keeping our streets safe.”
The policy passed unanimously. Council members like Tom Bullock say it was the right decision, while community members like Matthew Brown—who helped work on the policy—agree.
"Well, Lakewood is for fairness. Lakewood is for diversity, and we're about community members supporting one another and having freedom to be themselves,” said Bullock.
"I’m just very thrilled, because I think that Lakewood is doing a great job of, again, upholding where I think the federal government has fell behind,” said Matthew Brown, a member of the Cleveland Democratic Socialist of America, or Cleveland (DSA).
Though statewide conservative activists like Lizzie Marbach criticize the city’s decision to protect gender-affirming care:
“I think it's evil what they're doing,” Marbach continued, “It's not truly affirming their gender. What it's trying to do is mutilate their gender, reject the design that God has given them.”
Kepple reminds everyone that no matter what happens at the federal level, Lakewood will always strive to be a place for LGBTQ+ residents.
"Lakewood is known for being a very welcoming, affirming place for everyone, and we want to make sure, particularly in this era, that we lift up our LGBT neighbors when they most need it,” said Kepple.
Next up: Councilwoman Kepple says they are pushing for any new buildings or construction projects to include gender-neutral restrooms.
