Last month, politicians in Ohio were unable to restrict Ohioans ‘reproductive rights despite their best efforts to stifle our democracy and enslave us to harsh abortion laws. More than two million people in Ohio came together to protest, petition, and vote in favor of securing new freedoms for our state law and demonstrating that we should have complete control over our body and health decisions.
While anti-choice fanatics have suffered defeat after defeat at the polls, they are far from giving up on their problems. Those fanatics came to fight for our right to an abortion, but now they’re focusing on trans kids.
The Ohio House recently voted to supersede Gov. House Bill 68, which would have prohibited transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming medical care and from participating in girls ‘and women’s sports, was vetoed by Mike DeWine. Next, the Senate will vote to see if the veto is formally overturned. Four charges were introduced last month specifically to harm Ohio’s transgender children, including this one. This new wave of stigmatization was introduced in our government by elected officials with the goal of preventing transgender youth from leading healthy, healthy lives.
Despite the protests from those who would be most affected by the proposed legislation, a worrying number of legislators continue to push transgender people further and further into the periphery of our world. In addition to violating the legal right to equal protection, excluding trans kids from schools, sports teams, and other educational opportunities also prevents them from having the opportunity to understand and succeed alongside their peers. This is hazardous in addition to being unsatisfactory.
We should support plans that uphold everyone’s right, regardless of their gender identity, and offer ways to enhance our everyday lives rather than supporting unfair practices. And instead of enacting laws that harm us and stop us from deciding for ourselves what to do with our own bodies, we look to our elected officials to take the initiative.
Trans right and reproductive rights are linked by the shared values of physical freedom, non-discrimination, and the freedom to make your own health judgments, even though the relationship may not be immediately apparent.
Reproductive rights emphasize the right to obtain prevention, abortion, and complete health care for sexual organs, but they also include the freedom to start a family, whether through adoption, assisted reproductive technologies, or other methods.
This entails removing obstacles to gender-affirming care, fertility preservation, and family-building options that respect trans people’s identities. Without even defending the rights of transgender persons, it is impossible to protect reproductive rights.
Since the Dobbs ruling, there have been more than a dozen national bans on gender-affirming care, and many more of these attacks are expected this year in Ohio and across the nation, leaving trans youth prone to severe emotional, physical, or mental repercussions.
Legislators wasted no time in passing severe anti-trans charges after removing the legal right to an abortion, which has sparked a wave of incursions of our bodily autonomy. There is no end to how far misogynistic extremists will go, from states outlawing gender-affirming care to criminalizing transgender people and mandating that youth transition again.
These politicians are oblivious to the fact that anti-abortion and pro-trans laws are extremely unhappy with Americans. Americans have repeatedly demonstrated their support for abortion rights and for politicians to halt disparaging the transgender community. Why then don’t our laws reflect the wishes of the populace? It is obvious that these politicians have their own goals because they are acting in direct opposition to what their components want. They are serving themselves and their interests rather than us and our objectives.
To ensure that Ohio residents are prepared to make the best health decisions for their bodies, we must create complete Gay inclusive sexual health information in our state-funded programs rather than continuing to determine what Ohioans may and should not do with our most individual health care decisions. In order to prevent division and misinformation, our laws must include a detailed and respectful knowledge of physical health that takes into account all experiences and personalities. The moment to take action is today.
Trans children are not one of the serious issues we face in this position. Living in fear of what the future holds is violent and terrible for Ohio’s trans children. It’s time for our members in Columbus to pay attention to Ohio voters ‘repeated requests to keep our bodies alone and carry out their elected duties.
