https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/ohio-republicans-introduce-natural-family-month-bill-lgbtq-families-rcna207354More than two dozen Ohio lawmakers are supporting a bill that would designate the weeks between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day “Natural Family Month.”
Though the bill, introduced by Republican state Reps. Josh Williams and Beth Lear, doesn’t define “natural family” in its text, critics say it is intended to exclude LGBTQ families and promote marriage and childrearing between heterosexual, monogamous couples only.
When asked whether “Natural Family Month” will also recognize gay couples and parents with adopted children, Williams said in an emailed statement to NBC News that “the purpose of the month is to promote natural families—meaning a man, a woman, and their children—as a way to encourage higher birth rates.”
He added, “This is not about discriminating against other family structures, but about supporting the one most directly tied to the creation and raising of children.”
After introducing the bill earlier this week, Williams and Lear said in joint statements that the initiative is intended to promote child rearing.
“At a time when marriage is trending downward and young couples are often choosing to remain childless, it’s important for the State of Ohio to make a statement that marriage and families are the cornerstone of civil society, and absolutely imperative if we want to maintain a healthy and stable Republic,” Lear said.
