Ohio
Ohio tied for No. 4 in 2025 anti-LGBTQ incidents, GLAAD report shows
Ohio and Washington tied fourth in the nation for having the most anti-LGBTQ+ incidents last year with 50, according to a new report from GLAAD, a LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.
Cincinnati had seven incidents, and Columbus and Dayton both had five.
GLAAD’s Anti-LGBTQ Extremism Reporting Tracker (ALERT) documented 1,042 anti-LGBTQ incidents in 2025 nationwide from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31. About half of the incidents targeted transgender and gender non-conforming people and about a quarter of the incidents happened in June.
“We must join together in a united call against the violence and harassment that too many LGBTQ Americans face,” GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “Instead of growing divides that lead to this violence, politicians should recognize that all Americans deserve freedom, fairness, and safety.”
ALERT tracked these incidents through self-reports, media, social media posts and data sharing from partner organizations and law enforcement.
California had the most incidents with 198, followed by New Hampshire with 72, and Texas with 66.
Breaking down Ohio’s incidents
Several incidents in Ohio involved the Dayton Street Preachers hosting anti-LGBTQ+ protests at universities, events, street corners, concerts, Pride events, or outside the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.
Many incidents involved White Lives Matter and Continental Resistance placing anti-LGBTQ+ stickers in cities last summer.
In September, a man threatened on social media to kill a transgender councilwoman in St. Marys in western Ohio. The FBI investigated the threat and arrested the man.
In another incident, a man set fire to LGBTQ flags hanging in front of Cincinnati homes in July.
In April, a man checked out 100 books on LGBTQ+, Jewish, and Black history from a library in Beachwood and set them all on fire.
Ohio had 19 incidents involving propaganda distribution, 11 involved a protest, five were vandalism or property damage, three were arsons, two were a bomb or shooting threat, and two were verbal or written threat.
Ohio anti-LGBTQ bills
The ACLU is currently tracking 366 anti-LGBTQ bills in the United States. Republican lawmakers in Ohio have introduced bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
Ohio House Bill 190 would prohibit school employees from calling a student a name that is not listed on their birth certificate and ban them from using pronouns that do not align with their biological sex.
Ohio Republican state Reps. Johnathan Newman and Josh Williams introduced the bill, which has only had one committee hearing.
Ohio House Bill 172 would not allow minors 14 and older to receive mental health services without parental consent. Currently, mental health professionals are permitted to provide outpatient mental health services to minors 14 and older on a temporary basis without parental consent.
Newman introduced this bill, which has has had three committee hearings so far – meaning it could be up for a committee vote soon.
Ohio House Bill 249 would ban drag performers from performing anywhere that isn’t considered a designated adult entertainment facility. Ohio states Reps. Angie King, R-Celina, and Williams introduced this bill, which has had two hearings so far.
Ohio Equal Rights has started collecting signatures to get two amendments on the November ballot – including one that would get rid of the ban on same-sex marriage in the Ohio Constitution.
Ohio’s constitution includes a ban on same-sex marriage after 61.7% of Ohio voters approved an amendment in 2004 that says marriage is only between one man and one woman. The United States Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in 2015 through the Obergefell case originating out of Ohio.
Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on X.
AI influencers are all over your feed
AI influencers may not change minds — but they can amplify division and inflame political tensions online.
We can’t believe our eyes
Re “AI political ads bring fears over ’26 election,” May 27: I fully support House Bill 185. It probably doesn’t go far enough. This is a prime example of “don’t believe everything you see on the Internet.”
I am being inundated with emails and text messages from organizations and people I do not know. I block them as spam, but it doesn’t seem to do any good. About the only way to combat this is to attend a live debate between candidates, but most people do not have the time to do that.
I use AI every day with caution. We need better ways of identifying AI-created falsehoods.
Edwin Heller, Dublin
Tell voters what’s real
Re “AI political ads bring fears over ’26 election,” May 27: I don’t think AI should be used in political ads, but there is no way to stop it.What we can and should do is require campaigns to certify that their ad did or did not use AI to generate or edit content that:
- Makes a real person appear to say or do something they didn’t say or do.
- Alters footage of a real event or place.
- Generates a realistic-looking scene that didn’t actually occur.
We grade movie content. Why not political advertising? The public needs a way to help distinguish truth from fiction.
Richard Wires, Columbus
Ban political ads, already
Re “AI political ads bring fears over ’26 election,” May 27: Political ads should be banned. Those using – AI-generated or not. I don’t trust anything I read online anymore, and especially political ads.
People read/see those ads, don’t research the information in them, and vote according to, oftentimes, the misinformation in those ads. The huge amounts of money being spent on ads is sinful!
Lyn Miller, Smithville
Food cuts hurt hungry families
While President Donald Trump and Republicans continually find new ways to enrich their billionaire funders and friends, they’ve made the largest cuts to SNAP in history, making it more difficult for over 40 million Americans, including 16 million children and 8 million seniors, to access healthy foods and forcing them to rely on the cheapest foods (usually the most ultra-processed}.
They’re especially hurting American children and setting them up for worse health outcomes than previous generations by making it harder for them to access healthy foods.
They’ve cut funding to support farm-to-school programs and food banks, passed the largest cut to food assistance in history, and are pushing to end the decades-old practice of putting fluoride in water to reduce tooth decay. Most appalling, they’ve even allowed food companies to use cancer-causing chemicals in snack foods targeted to children.
Meanwhile, they’ve allowed food companies to take advantage of inflation to raise prices to increase their profits. A Kroger executive suggested that inflation is good for business when he testified the chain has hiked the milk and eggs prices beyond the costs from inflation.
This is one more reason that we must do all we can to get Republicans out of office.
Russ Smith, Strongsville
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – The FBI was part of a search of multiple properties related to Stansley Mining on Friday, a spokesperson for the agency confirmed.
A Public Affairs Officer for the FBI Cleveland Division confirmed to the 13 Action News I-TEAM that authorities searched a business in the area of Siliva Road in Sylvania, as well as property in Ottawa County by State Route 590 in Benton Township.
Officials with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation told the 13 Action News I-TEAM that they executed a search warrant at the property in Benton Township. Ohio BCI’s environmental division and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency were involved in the search.
It’s unclear exactly what officials were looking for. The FBI spokesperson said there wasn’t additional information to share at this point, but added there is no threat to the public.
Stansley Mining is the entity that owns Rocky Ridge Development, a company at the center of extensive 13 Action News coverage after its South Toledo mining operation was improperly working in a residentially-zoned area.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — A critically acclaimed name in Cleveland’s food scene is making a comeback of sorts and entering a new era in the food and restaurant business.
After the official closure of Melt Bar and Grilled locations across the area in late 2024, founder Matt Fish is stepping back into the restaurant business with a brand-new concept in Ohio City.
More Melts close
Fish is preparing to open “Proof Public House” inside the former Proof BBQ space along Lorain Avenue.
The new restaurant and bar is expected to officially open in mid-June after recently obtaining its food service license.
The announcement was just made on the restaurant’s official Instagram page this week.
But Fish says this project is very different from Melt’s previous projects, with more than a dozen locations across Ohio.
“I’m starting from scratch. Brand new concept. Brand new feeling, brand new attitude,” Fish said. “I wanna get back to basics.”
Fish describes Proof Public House as a punk rock-inspired neighborhood bar and restaurant with elevated comfort food, craft drinks, and an evolving seasonal menu.
“I’ve always wanted to get back to my roots,” Fish said. “I’ve always wanted to get back to a small place and recapture that magic of what Melt Bar and Grilled was when it first opened up.”
The longtime chef and restaurateur says music and creativity will help define the atmosphere and capture the essence.
Fish grew up on punk rock music and is also a drummer.
He says Cleveland’s history and punk rock roots make this latest project feel even more special.
The menu, he says, will feature chef-driven comfort food with rotating seasonal dishes and a specialized beverage program.
“Just have fun with the menu,” Fish said. “The beverage program will be very seasonal. It’s gonna be very evolving.”
Although many fans still associate Fish with the iconic grilled cheese sandwiches that helped make Melt Bar and Grilled a Northeast Ohio staple after opening in 2006, he says this new chapter is about moving forward.
“That part of my life is over and gone, but it was something special to so many of us,” Fish said.
Still, longtime Melt fans may notice subtle nods to the past.
Fish hinted there would be occasional “odes to Melt” appearing on the menu in the future, in some capacity.
He also credits former Proof BBQ and current Visible Voice Books owner Dave Ferrante for encouraging him to jump back into the hospitality business.
Fish quietly consulted on projects behind the scenes after Melt’s closure, including work connected to Visible Voice.
“I want to do something for myself, do something for the City of Cleveland, do something for my family and friends,” Fish said.
Proof Public House is expected to announce an official opening date soon.
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