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During the month of November the College of Social Work would like to thank those who inspire us.

During the month of November the College of Social Work would like to thank those who inspire us.

November 17, 2015

The Ohio State University College of Social Work is immensely grateful for the tireless work of our alumni, faculty, staff, students, friends and supporters, and all who advocate for the advancement of civil rights in this country and abroad. On this Day of Thanks, we celebrate diversity and encourage all of you to continue to Be The Change the world needs.

 

OSU alumni Joel and Craig Diaz were with friends at a crowded Union Café in the Short North, where news programs blared from a dozen TVs scattered around the bar. It was June 26, 2015, the day the U.S. Supreme Court would announce its ruling on same-sex marriage, a day they hoped would be historic.Weddingparty

The mood in the bar was electric if understandably cautious. While the nation’s attitudes were clearly shifting on the issue — 37 states now allowed same-sex marriage — federal appeals courts were divided over whether states were constitutionally obligated to do so. That would be decided today.

“We knew there was a good chance that it would go in our favor,” Joel recalls, “but there was still that shadow of doubt.”

When the court announced its ruling, the cafe erupted in cheers. By a 5-4 vote, the justices held that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage; the ban that Ohio and other states had tried so hard to keep intact was invalidated. The victory, so long in coming, was finally here.

“We were in the room with people who were involved in the struggle since the ‘80s,” Joel says. “It was remarkable.”

Despite the hugs and tears of joy all around them, for Joel and Craig the day was bittersweet.

Both had been enrolled at Ohio State for several years before their paths crossed in 2011, when they met at a friend’s birthday party. Fast forward to April 2014.  Joel proposes, but as he and Craig go about planning their wedding, they realize that prospects of getting a marriage license are limited. With the political climate on same-sex marriage uncertain in the United States, they look to Spain — where equal marriage has been legal since 2006 — and plan a fall wedding in the Mediterranean beach resort of Sitges. Still, their wish for an Ohio marriage license, and their dismay at knowing they have no legal standing to get one, is never far out of mind.

Though too late for Joel and Craig, the landmark Supreme Court decision changes all of that. They acknowledge the progress the country has made on LGBT issues and recognize the struggles of the men and women who made it happen.

“We’re still relatively young,” Craig says, “but for those who have gone their entire lives fighting for this, we’re so appreciative of their work.”

Hearts and minds have begun to change, but the LGBT community continues to face significant obstacles. As active members in the national Human Rights Campaign and advocates in local efforts to advance LGBT rights, Joel and Craig cite employment, housing and workplace discrimination as tremendous barriers to equality. They are especially concerned with rights of transgender people, both in the U.S. and abroad.

“The LGB part of LGBT definitely has a difficult time, but the T is often overlooked,” Joel says. “Fighting for their rights is a crucial next step.”

Adds Craig, “I agree. I also believe we really need to re-focus our energy on the health care of our community and address well-being, specifically with LGBT youth. So many of us navigate these waters with little to no support.”