Columbus, OH —The Board of Trustees of the United Way of Central Ohio voted Tuesday at their annual meeting to require all agencies receiving financial support to embrace policies of inclusion in their programming efforts, employment and volunteer recruitment.The Statement of non-discrimination reads, “Programs supported by UW funding must ensure that no qualified persons are denied needed or desired services, employment or the opportunity to volunteer based on race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, veteran-status or socio-economic status.”The United Way of Central Ohio has come under attack in recent years regarding their support of member agencies such as the Boy Scouts of Central Ohio for discriminatory policies in terms of sexual orientation.
“The fact that Board Members of The United Way have agreed that inclusiveness is essential to those groups that they support speaks volumes for the attitudes of those in the central Ohio community,” said Kate Anderson, Executive Director of Stonewall Columbus. “Members of the GLBT community make significant contributions both financially and voluntarily to organizations such as these, it is important to recognize this avenue of support and embrace these contributions to the betterment of our community, added Anderson.
