The Ohio House, controlled by Republicans, voted on Wednesday to override the veto of GOP Governor Mike DeWine. LGBTQ+ activists argue that DeWine’s veto of legislation prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors and limiting the participation of transgender girls and women in sports will significantly impact the lives of transgender children in the state.
The override places restrictions on mental health care for transgender individuals under 18 and moves closer to enacting a ban on gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies. Additionally, it prohibits transgender girls and women from participating in children’s sports teams at K–12 and collegiate levels.
DeWine recently stated that he vetoed the regulations to protect parents and children from government interference in medical decisions.
Along party lines, the House voted to override the veto with a 65-28 margin. The Republican-majority Senate is expected to hold its own override vote on January 24.
Rep. Gary Click, a Republican Baptist pastor from Sandusky County and the bill’s sponsor, argued that the legislation protects children who cannot provide informed consent for life-altering treatments. He hopes the override and potential future legislation will encourage medical professionals and others who may be hesitant to speak out against gender-affirming care for minors to do so.
Click emphasized the need to prevent ideology from taking control of healthcare.
Rep. Beth Liston, a Democrat and physician from the Columbus area, expressed her bewilderment at “the pride of the people in this room” who voted to override the veto despite lacking medical or mental health expertise.
Liston reassured the LGBTQ+ community that there is still hope and cited recent Ohio voter initiatives to legalize marijuana and protect abortion rights as evidence that the public can influence these prohibitions.
Several states that have passed laws restricting or banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors are currently facing legal challenges. Arkansas’s primary law was struck down by a federal judge who deemed the treatment ban unconstitutional. Courts have issued conflicting rulings in different states, with some upholding the bans and others striking them down.
Gender-affirming care has been provided in the United States for over a decade and is endorsed by major medical organizations.
A request from the Biden administration to halt outright bans is expected to be finalized in March after two delays and minimal opposition. At least 20 states have implemented some form of policy allowing transgender athletes to participate in K–12 and collegiate sports teams. The proposed bans could potentially violate Title IX, the landmark gender equality law enacted in 1972.
DeWine vetoed the bill on December 29 of last year and, on January 5, signed an executive order and proposed rules to address some of its provisions while still permitting non-surgical gender-affirming treatment for minors, such as testosterone treatments and puberty blockers.
Although doctors assert that gender-affirming surgeries for minors are not being performed, the executive order prohibits them.
Both proponents and opponents of the restrictions have strongly criticized DeWine’s proposals and his executive order. The proposals call for comprehensive and lengthy mental health evaluations before any therapies or surgeries, as well as the establishment of a “therapeutic relationship” with healthcare teams for both transgender minors and adults.
DeWine’s proposed regulations do not address the sports ban clause. He stated last year to reporters that he would not address that specific provision and believed that gender-affirming care was more pressing at this time. Republicans on the House floor continued to argue that these restrictions were necessary for fairness, the protection of girls and women, and sports, while Democrats characterized them as harmful to children.
DeWine’s departure from his party’s status quo, which he has championed as a “pro-life” decision, has drawn opposition from fellow Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, and conservative Christian organizations, even with his suggested regulations. Trump stated on Truth Social that DeWine had “fallen to the radical left,” that he was “done” with the Ohio governor, and urged lawmakers to override the veto.
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who is currently seeking the governorship in 2026, expressed support for the restrictions on social media and expressed hope that the measure would become law less than 24 hours after DeWine’s veto.
Democrats, transgender families, and LGBTQ+ individuals are protesting against the veto, but they also disagree with DeWine’s proposals. After the Senate’s expected override, potential legal challenges may be explored.
According to Equality Ohio, an organization working to protect the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, DeWine’s proposals could establish broader regulations in the transgender field. The organization stated, “As drafted, the proposed rules ultimately change how Ohio health systems operate and disrupt care for current patients, including adults.”
