Higher Ed Association Will No Longer Host Conferences in Ohio Due to State’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws

By Ben Jodway, Buckeye Flame

Ohio’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws are beginning to shape the state’s economy as one organization decided to not host a conference in Cleveland that could have pulled thousands of attendees.

The Plain Dealer first reported that the International Studies Association, a higher education organization of scholars in the field of international studies, sent a letter to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Aug. 22 to inform him that, unless Ohio’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws are reversed, it will no longer consider Cleveland as an option for a future conference.

According to the letter, the annual conference brings 5,000 to 6,500 attendees from around the world.

The organization was also concerned about Ohio legislators’ and DeWine’s support of the federal administration’s push to deploy the U.S. military in cities, said ISA Executive Director MJ Bosia in an email to The Buckeye Flame.

“These actions have the potential to place our members at risk, and at the same time, for many members, recall their own struggles at home with anti-transgender policies and the militarization of their cities,” Bosia said. “We have seen how xenophobic enforcement policies have swept up foreign nationals, visa holders and U.S. citizens, including some who are LGBTQ+, in draconian expulsion and imprisonment policies.”

DeWine’s office did not comment before publication.

ISA will keep its 2026 conference in Columbus, a decision made eight years ago. However, ISA’s letter to DeWine noted that the contract for the venue includes a clause to protect their members from discrimination. If the members’ “rights are restricted” by the government or “other disruptions,” the contract could be canceled.

“We do hope for a successful and productive convention in Columbus next year, and hope that you will do everything in your power to ensure that our attendees can enjoy Columbus, whatever region of the world they are from and without regard to their sexuality or gender identity,” the letter concludes.

The decision to host the conference there was made in 2018, when Republican John Kasich was Ohio’s governor, Bosia said. To keep members safe, the ISA has an “online venue” attached so they can still engage with their colleagues.

“As a global society of scholars, our mission is to ensure that our members can engage in research dialogues for the betterment of the world,” the ISA said in a statement. “With that responsibility, we must offer alternatives for our members in difficult times, but in planning for the future, we must do our best to ensure that all members can meet in the venue that provides them with the optimal ability to engage in dialogue and scholarship.”

IGNITE ACTION

• More information on ISA’s 2026 convention in Columbus can be found here.
• To register to vote or to check your voter eligibility status in the state of Ohio, click here.
• To find contact information for your Ohio state representative, click here.
• To find contact information for your Ohio state senator, click here.
• To access an interactive map of Ohio’s state House and Senate districts, click here.

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The Buckeye Flame is an online platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ Ohioans to support community and civic empowerment through the creation of engaging content that chronicles their triumphs, struggles, and lived experiences.

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Photo credit: thebuckeyeflame/illustration by Ben Jodway

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