H.B. No. 537 Summary

• Prohibits discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation, making it an unlawful discriminatory practice under Ohio law.

• Mandates that elected officials who solemnize marriages cannot refuse to perform marriages for same-sex couples once they have solemnized any marriage; officials who perform no marriages are protected from retaliation.

• Provides religious exemptions allowing ordained ministers and religious societies to refuse services contrary to sincerely held religious beliefs about marriage, family, and sexuality without legal penalty.

• Amends wage discrimination law to include sexual orientation as a protected class and extends anti-discrimination protections to real estate transactions and lending practices.

• Adds protections for workplace religious expression and allows employees to express beliefs about marriage, family, and sexuality outside the workplace unless in direct conflict with employer business interests.