Cincy's first gay councilman shows change

CINCINNATI (AP) — The election of Cincinnati’s first openly gay councilman represents a shift for an Ohio city that for years had a charter amendment that was unfavorable to gays.

Chris Seelbach’s election last week is a milestone for the area’s gays and lesbians. Seelbach had worked for the successful repeal in 2004 of an 11-year-old city charter amendment that banned local ordinances protecting gay people from discrimination.

“I can’t really describe what I was feeling,” Seelbach, 32, said of his election to council and the big victory celebration that night. “It was just unbelievably amazing.”

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Seelbach plans to push for health benefits for same-sex partners of city employees, and that a majority of council likely will support the move.

The president of Citizens for Community Values said the election shows that Cincinnati is becoming more liberal. Phil Burress’ conservative group, based in suburban Sharonville, had supported the charter amendment with the slogan, “Equal rights, not special rights.”