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About Cecil:

Warner "Cecil" Baughman II, 45, is a resident of Toledo, Ohio in Lucas County. He was born in Florida and also lived in North Carolina before moving to Ohio in 1989. He studied organ performance and choral conducting at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro and at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem. While earning a doctorate in the same field from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, he minored in Arts Administration. While there, he won a Strada Organ Competition prize.

Warner has taught privately and at conferences around the world. Most recently, he participated in a church music conference in Samara, Russia teaching a course in using Orff instruments for children’s music programs. He has worked as a music director and organist in churches for the past 28 years.

Warner started working in the equal rights movement after the 2004 election. He brings a variety of leadership and professional experience including a position on the executive committee of the American Guild of Organists. He has demonstrated a strong desire for community involvement working as a volunteer at David’s House Compassion in Toledo and several other hospice and nursing centers.

In Cecil's Own Words:

"My personal motivation for engaging in equal rights work is a passionate belief that, if we believe that all people are created equal, we need to work to create a state, country and maybe one day a world in which equality is a reality for everyone and not just words on a document.

I'm a gay man who has children and I want them to know that they won't be discriminated against just because of who they love. I want to play a part no matter how small in helping to create an Ohio where that is possible for myself and them.

I bring a passion for the rights and equality of LGBTQ individuals to the Equality Ohio board. I have connections in the faith community and will help seek out support in that area. I also want to learn as much as I can from the board so that I can be as effective as possible in helping the fight for equal rights.

My hope is that Equality Ohio will use all its resources both financial and human to create an Ohio that all people can call home and all LGBTQ people can live and love in the way they were created to do."