CLOCK IT! LGBTQIA+ Folks Fight Against Republican Bill for ‘Natural Family Month’

A recent Republican bill for “Natural Family Month” has received major flak from the LGBTQIA+ community. Following the proposal, many have accused the legislatives of queer discrimination. Here’s why.

If you haven’t heard, in early May, Ohio state representatives Beth Lear and Josh Williams introduced a law designating the weeks between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as Natural Family Month. The new act was (seemingly) devised to revive the significance of traditional espousals, reduce divorce percentages, and boost birth rates.

“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 staple Republic,” Lear said in a press release.

Data provided by the CDC in April 2024 states that the United States’ general fertility rate reached a “historic low” last year, with a 3% decrease from 2022.

“With America facing declining birth rates and a shrinking population, we can no longer afford to ignore the foundational role that strong families play in sustaining our future,” Williams added. “[House Bill] 262 is about more than policy — it’s about promoting the economic and social stability that comes from raising children in healthy, two-parent households. We must use every tool at our disposal to support the families that are building the next generation of Americans.”

According to the Ohio Legislature website, the bill had garnered over 25 additional co-sponsors. However, while promoting stable family dynamics and balanced unions are “ideal” for the “American Dream,” sexual minorities aren’t here for the indicated message tied to Natural Family Month.

The Real Reason Why ‘Natural Family Month’ Doesn’t Appear to Be LGBTQIA+ (Friendly)

Although Natural Family Month doesn’t (specifically) outline the exclusion of rainbow families, much of the backlash has criticized it for its (alleged) prioritization of heterosexual partners and conventional foundations for childrearing.

When asked if the observance would highlight gay couples and adoptive parents, Williams told NBC News, “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 furthered, “This is not about discriminating against other family structures, but about supporting the one most directly tied to the creation and raising of children.”

Additionally, the origin of ‘Natural Family Month’ is suspected to have been motivated by the Natural Family Foundation, an Ohio-based advocacy group with a mission “to return the natural family to its rightful place as the foundation of our American culture.”

An excerpt from their virtual home reads, “When we speak of family we consider that to be without question one biological born man and woman in a lifelong, committed, monogamous relationship with their biological and/or adopted children.  Anything outside of these NATURAL parameters by design causes undue stress on the marriage, children and society.”

“The elephant in the room on how they’ve positioned it is on the word ‘natural,'” College Hill resident Vanessa Melendez, a married lesbian and mother of a blended family, expressed to WLWT News 5. “And I think that what they’re saying is [as] if there’s only one way to be a natural family, and that’s entirely not true.”

Proud to give sponsor testimony w/ @learforliberty on our “Natural Family Month” bill—celebrating men & women creating and raising children in Ohio. Strong families build strong communities. Let’s promote marriage, parenting & the next generation! pic.twitter.com/vThl5n1bak

— Representative Josh Williams (@JoshWilliamsOH) June 5, 2025

>>>>>>>>>>>>She concluded, “They’re really coming after it in a very narrow, exclusionary way, and they’re only giving a description of one type of family. We don’t want to take away from that one type of family, but there [are] so many other kinds of families.”

Williams combated that perspective by citing, “By that same logic that all families should be celebrated, you could go then to June and say we shouldn’t have Pride Month because all sexual [orientations] should be celebrated, not just those that are alternative to the mainstream.”

He also forefronted the need to prevent more broken homes in the Black community.

On Wednesday, Jun. 4, news swirled that Sen. Nickie Antonio countered ‘Natural Family Month’ by presenting the ‘Love Makes a Family Week’ bill. According to WCMH-TV, it’s meant to celebrate “all families formed through love” of “every race, sexual orientation, faith, structure and origin.” The recognition would include households built through adoption, foster care, surrogacy, IVF, single parents, etc.

“If Ohio is indeed the heart of it all, it is important that Ohio has a heart for all her people,” Democrat Antonio explained in a statement. “This bill affirms a simple truth: what makes a family is not how it was formed, but the love and support that strengthens it.”

From school regulations to conversion therapies, Ohio has been known for its anti-LGBTQIA+ discussions and enactments, making it tough for those on the spectrum to live in liberation. Hopefully, Natural Family Month does not come to fruition.

What are your thoughts on this subject? Let us know in the comments below!

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