Ohio Democrats accused of sacrificing transgender rights for votes

Backlash has erupted among Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocates in Ohio after two major state politicians pulled back on their support for transgender rights, according to an in-depth report by local news outlet Signal Statewide.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and longtime U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo, who is up for reelection in November, are being criticized by Democratic advisory groups and LGBTQ+ activists for their positions on transgender issues ahead of the fall election. Kaptur recently voted for a GOP-backed measure requiring parental notification when students seek to change their names or pronouns at school, and Acton was criticized for describing transgender girls as “boys” while explaining her position on transgender student-athletes.

Though Acton had not previously stated her views on transgender issues, she had attended several Pride events in June. That month, however, Acton said in a newspaper statement that she “doesn’t support boys playing in girls’ sports.” Her use of the word “boys” caused particular controversy within the LGBTQ+ community.

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Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton stirred up controversy within the Democratic party for her recent anti-trans comments.Jon Cherry/Getty Images

In May, Kaptur, who has historically voted in favor of LGBTQ+ protections, voted for the Republican-backed H.R. 2616, the “Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act,” which requires schools to notify parents when a child asks to change their gender, pronouns or preferred name. The bill also would withhold federal funding from schools that “teach or advance concepts related to gender identity.”

Both politicians will appear on Ohio ballots in November, and Democrats have increasingly blamed the party’s support for transgender rights for some of its losses in the 2024 elections.

The Buckeye Flame, a Cleveland-based LGBTQ+ news outlet, recently published separate opinion pieces criticizing each Democrat for failing to support transgender Ohioans as Republicans continue advancing restrictions on their rights.

“What we’ve heard from various elected officials is, if you’re going to try to get a statewide electorate, you’re going to have to make some compromises,” Ken Schneck, Buckeye Flame’s editor, told Signal. “But that comes at a cost at the hands of LGBTQ voters.”

Transgender activist NV Gay, who wrote the op-ed on Acton, noted the gubernatorial candidate’s use of the word “boys” was particularly harmful because it suggests that she believes transgender girls aren’t girls. “I think the effects of her words are extremely damaging to the trans girls out there who are wanting to just be themselves,” wrote Gay.

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U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who is up for reelection this November, is being criticized for pulling back on supporting trans rights ahead of the election.Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

"We are seeing elected officials willing to compromise on the civil rights of marginalized communities in exchange for a perceived electoral advantage," wrote trans activist and politician Arienne Childrey in the Buckeye op-ed on Kaptur. "This pattern reveals a harsh truth about the Democratic party establishment: The second political winds shift, they treat trans people like we are disposable."

In addition to criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates and activists, Acton faced backlash from two prominent Democratic advisory groups over her position and choice of words.

The Ohio Democratic Party’s Progressive Caucus, an official state party advisory group, issued a statement, which it later deleted, criticizing Acton’s stance and warning that it could cost the Democratic Party support. “Any one of us could have warned her of that natural consequence if any one of us had been in the room with her," the statement read. "Despite our disagreement on this issue, we remain ready to work with her to achieve our shared goals to improve life in Ohio.”

Another advisory group, the Ohio Democratic Party’s Pride Caucus, commented in a July 2 Facebook post on Acton's insensitive wording, noting, “There are no boys in girls’ sports” and that "trans girls are girls.”