Ohio State removes LGBTQ page amid state DEI restrictions from Senate Bill 1
Ohio State University removed its LGBTQ webpage in response to Ohio’s Senate Bill 1, which restricts programs that advantage individuals based on gender identity or expression.
The university is reviewing its DEI-related initiatives to comply with the new law, mirroring actions taken by other institutions across the state.
Ohio State University (OSU) has removed an LGBTQ page on its main website following the passage of a state bill that seeks to limit Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies and programs.
Senate Bill 1 will go into effect in late June, according to WOSU. The legislation mandates, among other things, that schools do not provide any “advantage or disadvantage” to faculty, staff, or students based on “gender identity” or “gender expression.”
OSU spokesperson Ben Johnson told WOSU that programs “intended to primarily benefit a specified group” may not be permitted by the new legislation.
“Programs and activities that are for or intended to primarily benefit a specified group, where the primary goal is to reach a specific group, or where members of specific groups are intended to apply are not permitted and are in the process of being reviewed by the university for compliance with state and federal law and guidance,” Johnson explained.
Other universities in Ohio have also closed LGBTQ programming, including Kent State University, according to ABC5.
Previously, OSU’s LGBTQ page contained resources including a list of pride-related events, according to The Lantern, the school’s student-run newspaper. The LGBTQ page was active as of May 25, but has since been taken down.
“Keep in mind that we are in the process of implementing the law, and our review of DEI programming is ongoing,” Johnson, the OSU spokesperson, told The Lantern about the situation. “It’s too soon to say what exact programs and services will be available in the fall.”
Campus Reform reported in March about Ohio’s Senate Bill 1, which bans DEI initiatives at public colleges in the state. The legislation passed the state Senate by a 21–11 vote and advanced through the House 59–34.
Even before the bill was signed, universities in the state including OSU and the University of Cincinnati chose to shut down some of their existing DEI policies.
Campus Reform has also reported about the Trump administration’s crackdown on DEI policies, including the Department of Education’s February notice that schools could lose federal funding for retaining DEI.
Earlier this year, the Education Department launched a new page on its website titled “End DEI” for individuals who want to file complaints about DEI policies at publicly funded universities.
OSU is far from the first university to take down a website following the federal crackdown on DEI. Other schools, including the University of Southern California, the University of Alaska, Vanderbilt University, Northwestern University, and Stanford University, have also removed online references to DEI.
Campus Reform has contacted Ohio State University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
