A transgender woman was disqualified from an Ohio House competition because she omitted her past name, despite receiving enough signatures to appear on the ballot. This raises concern that other transgender individuals across the country may encounter similar obstacles.
One of the four transgender candidates vying for state office in Ohio was Vanessa Joy, who did so largely in response to proposed limitations on LGBTQ+ people’s rights.
She was opposing Republican candidate Matthew Kishman in House District 50, a heavily Democratic city in Stark County, Ohio.
For the March 19 primary election, Joy claims to have given the Stark County Board of Elections her new name and birth certificate in 2022.
However, Joy learned on Tuesday that a candidate must submit any name changes within the previous five years in order to be eligible for the vote, according to an obscure 1990s state law.
Joy was unaware that the law existed because it isn’t currently mentioned in the candidate requirement guidelines on the website of the Ohio Secretary of State.
Due to the fact that Vanessa Joy only used her lawful title to circulate petitions rather than her real name, she was disqualified. Twitter / Vanessa Joy
Joy claimed that giving her previous name would be equivalent to using her deadname, a term used by the trans community to refer to the name given at birth rather than one they chose that is consistent with their gender identity.
While Joy asserted that the law’s purpose is to weed out bad actors, it also puts a barrier in the way of transgender people running for office who might not want to share their last name for significant reasons, such as concern for their safety.
Joy said, “I individually would have done so because being elected was important to me, if I had known that I needed to put my deadname on my petitions.” However, many people would find it difficult to enter because they don’t want their names on the petitions.
In House District 50, Vanessa Joy was vying with Republican Matthew Kishman as a Democrat. Social / Vanessa Joy
“It’s dangerous, and that title is useless,” she continued.
Emails requesting comment on Thursday were not immediately returned by the Stark County Board of Elections or the Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office. Whether any current or former state legislators have been subject to this legislation is unclear.
Election expert Rick Hasen, a professor at UCLA School of Law, claimed that while it is problematic in Ohio to require candidates to disclose any title changes, it normally serves its intended purpose.
Despite receiving enough votes, Vanessa Joy’s omission of her past name prevented her from being eligible for the Ohio House race. Vanessa Joy on Twitter
Hasen wrote in an email, “Disclosing past names used by the candidate would make sense if a candidate has something to hide in their past, such as criminal activity.”
Sean Meloy, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s vice president of political programs, stated that he is unaware of any monitoring efforts to determine how many states require name changes on petition paperwork.
The strict enforcement of it, according to Meloy, is the biggest problem.
One of four transgender individuals running for state office in Ohio was Vanessa Joy. Twitter / Vanessa Joy
Some states have increased restrictions on transgender people over the past few years, including preventing minors from receiving gender-affirming care like puberty blockers and hormones.
This has led to restrictions on which school restrooms transgender children and kids can use and which sports teams they can join in some states.
A record number of transgender individuals were sought out and elected last year, according to Meloy, and he anticipates that trend will continue in 2024.
The Republican governor of Ohio vetoed restrictions that Ohio lawmakers passed late last year, but some Republican state representatives claim they intend to bypass that veto as soon as next week.
Some conservatives, according to Meloy, are attempting to silence transgender voices.
He referred to Zooey Zephyr, a transgender senator who was barred from speaking on Montana’s House floor last year after refusing to offer an apology for threatening to have blood on their hands if colleagues who supported the ban on gender-affirming care did so.
“This seems like a carefully enforced action to try to stop other transgender people from doing that,” Meloy said, adding that anti-trans legislation is being pushed more and more.
Joy filed a dismissal appeal on Thursday and is currently seeking legal counsel. She intends to make an effort to change Ohio’s laws.
She declared, “We’re going to see this occurring everywhere. If I’m just the beginning, this could turn into a snowball. This is terrible news for the transgender community.”
