The Ohio Senate voted Wednesday to override GOP Gov. GOP Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of a bill, which bans gender-affirming care for minors and restricts transgender girls from participating in school women's sports teams.
The override, passing the chamber 24-8 mostly along party lines, paves the way for House Bill 68 to become law in 90 days. DeWine vetoed the bill last December, asserting that choices regarding gender transition care should be made by families in consultation with their healthcare providers.
House Bill 68, titled "Ohio Saving Adolescents from Experimentation" or "SAFE," restricts children's hospitals from providing gender-affirming care to minors. This entails a prohibition on various treatments, including therapy, medication and surgery, designed to support the gender identity of transgender children.
The legislation bans minors' access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy. It permits, however, talk therapy and allows Ohioans already on hormones or puberty blockers to continue their treatment under the law, as long as the doctor determines that discontinuing the prescription would be harmful.
The new law also prohibits transgender girls and women from participating in women's school sports teams.
Those healthcare providers found to be in breach of the law could potentially face disciplinary consequences imposed by their licensing board. Moreover, the act grants students in K-12 schools and colleges the ability to file lawsuits against their school, school district, interscholastic body, or affiliated organization if they believe they have been denied athletic opportunities due to the involvement of a transgender student.
For the state senators, the bill is necessary to protect Ohio children. Before the vote, Senator Kristina Roegner, a co-sponsor of the bill, argued that changing one's gender is impossible, asserted that "there is no such thing as a gender spectrum," and called "attempting" to change someone's gender a "fool's errand"
"There is no such thing as gender-affirming care," Roegner said. "You can't affirm something that doesn't exist."
Read Also: Ohio Senate Passes Bill Restricting Transgender Girls in Women's Sports, Gender Health Care
Opponents of the Bill Firm on Fighting for Families and Children's Rights
Opponents of House Bill 68 are not conceding defeat; they are actively considering legal action. Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, emphasized that the current development isn't the final resolution on the matter.
"This is not the last word on this issue," said Robinson. "This is actually the beginning of a fight to protect our families and our kids."
Maria Bruno, the Public Policy Director at Equality Ohio, a statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy group, mentioned their intent to investigate various legal and legislative possibilities to ensure the well-being of transgender residents and their families, the AP News reported.
Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, who is part of the LGBTQ+ community herself and called the restriction "bullying," expects legal challenges to the legislation and asserts that the measure sends a message to LGBTQ+ individuals, implying they are regarded skeptically and insinuating they are not capable of determining what is in their best interest.
This is not an unprecedented move, as numerous states that have implemented similar laws now face lawsuits, resulting in mixed rulings. In Arkansas, a federal judge invalidated the law, contending that the ban on care violated the due process rights of transgender youth and their families.
Ohio becomes the 22nd state to pass legislation into law restricting gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
