Ohio Republicans Send Anti-Trans Health Care, Sports Bill to Governor

Ohio legislators have approved a bill that both bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors and bars trans girls and women from female school sports — and LGBTQ+ rights supporters are calling on Gov. Mike DeWine to veto it.

Both the House and Senate OK’d the bill Wednesday, the Ohio Capital Journal reports. DeWine has 10 business days, from the time the measure physically reaches him, to sign or veto it. DeWine, a Republican, hasn’t taken a public stand on the matter, but he opposed an earlier proposed sports ban, saying it wasn’t an issue for government regulation.

“We await a final bill to review before offering formal comment,” DeWine’s press secretary, Dan Tierney, told the Capital Journal Wednesday.

House Bill 68 bars doctors and other health care providers from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to minors for the purpose of gender transition and from performing gender-affirming surgery on them, even though such surgery is not recommended for minors anyway, and no doctor in Ohio is offering it. Violation would not carry criminal penalties, as it does in some states, but would involve discipline by licensing boards.

A late amendment to the bill would allow young people already taking puberty blockers or hormones to continue on the treatment if a doctor determines that stopping it would cause harm. Talk therapy to treat gender dysphoria would be allowed for all patients, but only if at least one parent or guardian consents.

“The bill is so cruel on so many levels, but at the end of the day, this violates parents’ rights to make decisions about their children’s own health care,” said Allison Russell, leader of the House’s Democratic minority, according to the Capital Journal. “It’s putting the government in the middle of families and their health care providers.”

There was initially a stand-alone sports bill, House Bill 6, but it was folded into HB 68 in June. The sports provision would bar trans women and girls from participating in female sports in public schools and colleges. Eligibility to play on women’s and girls’ teams would be based on the individual’s genitalia at birth.

Currently, the Ohio High School Athletic Association lets trans females join girls’ teams if they’ve had at least a year of hormone therapy, The Columbus Dispatch reports. Seven trans girls were approved to participate for the 2023-2024 school year.

Democratic Sen. Nickie Antonio, a lesbian who is her chamber’s minority leader, issued a statement against the combined bill. “This bill strips rights away from parents and bans children’s access to evidence-based health care,” she said. “Physicians need to be able to have comprehensive care discussions with patients and their families, but this bill puts them in an impossible position.”

Twenty-two states have passed laws banning some or all gender-affirming care for trans youth. Some of these laws have been blocked by courts and one, in Arkansas, has been struck down by a court, but that ruling is being appealed. Twenty-two states have laws restricting trans sports participation.

Those urging DeWine to veto the bill include the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union. “All Ohioans deserve a state where they are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve,” HRC Senior Director of Legal Policy Cathryn Oakley said in a press release. “The Ohio legislature’s relentless focus on anti-transgender legislation is shameful and out of touch with the values of the people of Ohio. Lawmakers in the state should be working to ensure that everyone, no matter who they are or who they love, is able to live free of discrimination and violence. We call on Governor DeWine to listen to the concerns of community members and veto HB 68. Ohio is, and should remain, home for Ohioans of all lived experiences.”

The ACLU of Ohio called on citizens to contact DeWine and tell him to veto the bill. “Legislators have no business banning evidence-based science, especially affirming, professionally endorsed services by physicians, mental health professionals, and other licensed providers OR barring them from participating in sports,” said a statement on its website. “Trans youth belong, and discrimination has no place in our state.”

Pictured: Protesters and Gov. Mike DeWine