Republican Governor Mike DeWine vetoed a measure on Friday that would have prohibited gender-affirming care for minors and the participation of transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, in retaliation against party members who supported the legislation.
Republicans currently hold enough votes to override DeWine’s veto, but it was unclear if or when they would do so. Democratic lawmakers have not been in unison this time, both within and between chambers.
DeWine stated in a press conference on Friday that he had listened to lawmakers on both sides who “really believe their stance ideally protects children.”
He discovered that only a small percentage of Ohioan children might be impacted by the bill, but “the consequences of this act could not be more serious for those children who face gender dysphoria and for their families.”
He declared his intention to veto the legislation and said, “Ultimately, I believe this is about protecting human life.”
“Now, while there are a few instances in the law where the state overturns the parents’ medical decisions, I can’t think of any instances where this is done where it goes against not only the parent’s decision but also the treating physicians’ and medical teams’ judgments,” he said. I am therefore unable to sign this bill as it is currently written.
DeWine, however, declared a three-pronged approach and stated that he thought there were operational actions that could address the main issues with the bill.
As part of gender-affirming care, he is directing organizations to outlaw surgery on children under the age of 18. He stated that he thinks there is a “fallacy out there that this goes straight to surgery.”
He will direct appropriate agencies to report findings to the Legislature and the public about minors and adults seeking treatment because he agreed with the government that there were no complete data on those who receive gender-affirming treatment.
Lastly, DeWine stated that his administration would create rules and regulations to stop “pop-up clinics or fly-by-night operations” so that families could get “adequate counseling” regarding gender-affirming care.
When Ohio’s contentious bill was being voted on by the government, thousands of opponents testified against it, including medical and mental health professionals, educators, religious leaders, families of transgender children, and even trans people themselves.
They criticized the policy as cruel, based more on fearmongering than science, and posing a threat to transgender children’s quality of life.
Under the legislation, which the government passed earlier this month with only Republican support, Ohio minors would not have been allowed to take puberty blockers, receive other hormone therapies, or have gender reassignment surgery that would further align them with their gender identity. However, it would have permitted any minor resident of Ohio to continue with the care they are already receiving.
DeWine’s veto deviates from a general trend toward enacting such legislation. Despite the fact that these procedures have been available in the United States for more than ten years and have long been endorsed by major medical associations, over 20 states have passed laws restricting or banning them since 2021. The majority of those states are the targets of lawsuits, but authorities have reached conflicting conclusions.
Additionally, the bill would have explicitly prohibited transgender girls and women from participating in sports that were consistent with their gender identity and mandated that K–12 schools and universities designate separate teams for male and female genders. According to supporters, prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports upholds their fairness and integrity.
Trans athletes playing on K–12 and collegiate sports teams across the state have been banned in some form by at least 20 states. A rule put forth by President Joe Biden’s administration that is scheduled to be finalized early next month would violate those bans.
