The legislation was scheduled to go into effect on April 24 but has been put on hold for two weeks or until a hearing is held.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Franklin County prosecutor temporarily blocked a moratorium on gender-affirming treatment for adolescents on Tuesday.
The law, which is scheduled to go into effect on April 24, forbids gender-affirming clinics and hormone treatments and limits transgender people’s access to mental health care. Additionally, the legislation forbids transgender girls and women from participating in women’s gymnastics teams at the K-12 and collegiate levels.
The governor of Ohio vetoed House Bill 68, Mike DeWine, in December. The Republican-dominated House and Senate overrode that rejection earlier this year.
Two families of transgender minors filed a legal challenge to the laws only three weeks ago. The lawsuit contends that the law specifically prevents transgender youth from accessing healthcare.
The ACLU of Ohio’s statement included the following:
“The plaintiffs effectively argued that House Bill 68 violates the Ohio Constitution because it covers more than one area, and that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed because of the ACLU of Ohio and the international law firm Goodwin Procter. The Court joined the Health Care Ban and a Transgender Girls’ Interdiction to Play on Girls or Women’s Sports Teams, both of which were included in House Bill 68.”
The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas’ temporary block will remain in effect for 14 days or until the hearing of the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction.
In a composed manner, Franklin County Judge Michael Holbrook stated that it is likely to violate state law’s condition that it deal with a single subject.
HB 68 opponents, such as Mallory Golski, the Kaleidoscope Youth Center’s manager of political commitment and advocacy, said this news is a relief for many of the children they serve in the community.
“If they hadn’t already been taking hormones, it gives them a little more time to continue receiving that care, to pursue that care,” Golski said.
According to Golski, this kind of support allows trans people to see themselves as they really are when they look in the mirror.
“They can look in the mirror without having to worry about missing body parts. They can hear their words the way they want them to appear,” Golski said.
This decision by the judge is not surprising for legislators like State Representative Gary Click, who co-sponsored the bill.
“We have lower court disappointments but higher court victories,” Rep. Click said.
Click believes that the bill will ultimately be passed if this case is transferred to the Ohio Supreme Court.
“Because there’s no constitutional right to injure children, there’s no constitutional right to chemically castrate children…there is no constitutional right to this, this is malpractice and we’re gonna win in the end,” Click said.
Governor DeWine stated on Tuesday that this situation may continue to affect court proceedings.
“Everyone was aware that whatever the local judge’s choice is, it will go to the court of appeals,” DeWine said, adding that the Ohio Supreme Court may follow.
Until finally, both sides said they plan to keep fighting.
“We are aware that we will just have to carry on this struggle for the long term,” Golski said.
“As this eventually enters the justice system, ‘we will prevail,'” Click said.
