On December 29, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine overrode his own party’s government, which had previously in December voted to pass a bill that would have prohibited any sex transition care for minors.
The Saving Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act was passed on December 13 by Ohio’s Republican-majority House and Senate, capping a year in which nearly 20 states have restricted gender-affirming care for youth under the age of 18. The bill sought to make gender-affirming treatment, such as hormone therapy, puberty blocker medication, or gender reassignment surgery, illegal for children under the age of 18.
Democratic governor cited the life-saving benefits of gender-affirming care at a press conference to announce his veto ruling.
“A very small number of Ohio’s children may be impacted by this act.” However, the effects of this act could not be more severe for the families of children who suffer from gender dysphoria. In the end, I think this is about preserving human life, DeWine said. “Some parents have told me that their child would not have lived, and would be dead now, if they had not received the care they received from a children’s hospital in Ohio.”
Ohio’s House Bill 68, which was vetoed, would have also forbidden trans athletes who weren’t assigned a gender at birth from competing on sports teams designated for people at the high school and college levels.
More than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced or passed by politicians across the nation in 2023, including the one from Ohio. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, more than 75 laws have been passed, the majority of which have limited transgender minors’ access to healthcare.
According to Erin Upchurch, executive director of Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC) in Columbus, legal attacks on trans youth have gotten worse over the past two years. For LGBTQIA+ people ages 12 to 24 in Ohio, the center offers community and support, including gender-affirming care, and Upchurch claims her team recognizes the significance of offering this kind of care to trans kids.
“We understand what it means to be seen when the piece of you that is in comes to life. Because of the place we offer, we are able to see it every day,” according to Upchurch. “Taking that light away from someone is really truly cruel,” said the author.
As Ohio’s state legislators have attempted to negate their names and right to care, Upchurch claims she has been impressed by the strength of young transgender people in Ohio.
Upchurch remarks, “They have been thus brave, courageous, and resilient,” despite her sadness that this is what the social environment has demanded of them. What options are available to them?
As HB68 advanced through committees this year, some families of transgender kids in Ohio have been upset. According to Upchurch, individuals she works with are debating whether to remain in the position following the passage of HB68. Some people have begun taking actions like gathering paperwork in preparation for leaving Ohio and finding employment abroad. Many of the young people she works with were concerned they may lose their upcoming sex surgeries as they awaited the governor’s decision.
DeWine claimed that in order to make his choice, he spoke with numerous people who received gender-affirming care, their families, and doctors at all five children’s hospitals in Ohio. The governor emphasized the rights of parents to make any decisions regarding their individual child’s health care after speaking with transgender youth who claimed they were thriving as a result of their care and families who said gender-affirming therapy saved their children’s lives.
DeWine stated that “parents should make these gut-wrenching decisions and should be informed by a team of specialists who are advising them.” If House Bill 68 were to become law, Ohio would be claiming that the state and the state are more knowledgeable about a child’s medical needs than the parents, the two people who care about them the most.
His veto can be overridden by Ohio Republicans because they control the state legislature with a supermajority. DeWine made announcements to help some of the partners’ positions, such as the need to gather information about gender-affirming care for children and the investigation into outlawing gender reassignment procedures for anyone under the age of 18.
Upchurch claims that despite this, she is thrilled about DeWine’s veto. However, the psychological cost of anti-LGBT policy continues to be felt by transgender youth and their communities.
She claims, “I want to think that Governor DeWine is an example of leadership, of a position where people can feel at home and thrive.” “I’m hoping that this veto and the subsequent talk will help these young people and their families see the light again.”
