The Ohio House has overridden Governor Mike DeWine’s veto of Ohio House Bill 68. The legislation, which aimed to prohibit transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming medical care and participating in girls’ and women’s sports, was defeated by a vote of 65 to 28.
On January 24, the Ohio Senate will decide whether or not to supersede the veto. To bypass the governor’s rejection, lawmakers need a 60% majority vote in both houses.
Under this law, doctors providing gender-affirming care for transgender youth would have been “subject to discipline by the appropriate professional license board.” There were exceptions to the legislation for non-transgender youth seeking similar treatment.
Transgender individuals who were already receiving gender-affirming care would have been allowed to continue under a grandfather clause.
Access to gender-affirming care has been restricted in at least 21 states, many of which have faced legal challenges. A federal judge ruled that a law prohibiting gender-affirming treatment for adolescents in Arkansas was unconstitutional, and similar laws have been blocked in Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Texas, and Montana while legal proceedings are ongoing.
Governor DeWine vetoed the legislation, noting that he shared concerns raised by various parties. He stated, however, that he believed the bill, as written, could harm transgender youth and hinder their ability to make informed decisions after consulting those who would be affected.
In opposition to a bill that would forbid gender-affirming care for minors and prohibit transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s athletics, administrators, including church leaders, business entrepreneurs, social workers, and transgender individuals, gathered at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio.
DeWine stated in a press conference on December 29 that “the decisions that parents are making are not quick decisions.” These extremely difficult choices should not be made by the government. The state of Ohio should never make them. They should be made by those who love these children the most, and those are the parents—the ones who raised the child and witnessed their child’s suffering.
Instead, he proposed regulations to control gender-affirming treatment that would be less likely to face legal challenges, such as restrictions on minor surgery.
DeWine stated on Friday that “none of the people I talked to talked about surgery.” They weren’t discussing that at the time. And I firmly believe that it is a common misconception that this immediately leads to surgery. It simply doesn’t. Every children’s hospital says that we don’t perform surgeries.
According to doctors, families, and patients often engage in lengthy conversations to explore age-appropriate, specialized approaches to care. They state that this frequently begins with mental health care.
According to doctors interviewed by ABC News, puberty blockers are a reversible form of gender-affirming care that allows children to delay puberty and explore their gender identity without the development of permanent secondary sex characteristics that may cause additional distress.
Hormone treatments for older teenagers help align a patient’s gender identity with their physical appearance. When patients receive hormone therapy, the changes are gradual and partially reversible.
Surgical procedures for adolescents are rare and only considered on a case-by-case basis, according to doctors who spoke with ABC News.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine spoke at a press event in Columbus, Ohio on December 29, 2023.
DeWine also suggested limits on “pop-up centers” that serve the transgender community, as well as reporting and data collection on those who receive treatment.
According to DeWine, “I firmly believe that administrative rules that will likely have a better chance of surviving administrative review and being adopted can be used to address several aspects of House Bill 68.”
More than 20 major nationwide medical associations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, have deemed gender-affirming treatment to be safe and effective. According to the AMA, providing transgender individuals with this treatment may be medically necessary to enhance their physical and mental health.
Transgender children are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts due to gender dysphoria and discrimination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that hormone treatment can improve the mental well-being of transgender children and adolescents.
When asked about the restrictions on certain activities, DeWine responded, “I focused on the part of the bill that I believed affected the most people by far,” referring to the section on gender-affirming treatment.
