District 50 of the Ohio House was being represented by Vanessa Joy. Because she didn’t reveal her previous name, she was eliminated from the voting process.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A transgender woman was disqualified from an Ohio House competition because she omitted her previous name, despite receiving enough names to appear on the ballot. This raises concern that other transgender individuals across the country may encounter similar obstacles.
In Ohio, four transgender people ran for state office, including Vanessa Joy, largely in response to proposed limitations on LGBTQ+ people’s rights. She was opposing GOP member Matthew Kishman in House District 50, a heavily Democratic district in Stark County. Joy claims she submitted her birth certificate and name to the Stark County Board of Elections for the March 19 primary election in 2022 when she legally changed them.
However, Joy learned on Tuesday that a candidate must submit any name changes within the previous five years to be eligible for the vote, according to an obscure 1990s state law. Joy was unaware that the law existed because it is not currently mentioned in the candidate requirement guidelines on the website of the Ohio Secretary of State.
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 imposes a barrier on transgender people who want to run for office but may be reluctant to share their last name for significant reasons, such as concern for their own safety.
Joy said, “I personally would have because being elected was important to me, so I had to put my deadname on my applications. However, many people would find it difficult to enter because they don’t want their names on the petitions.
“It’s a risk, and that title is useless,” she continued.
The Stark County Board of Elections and the office of Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose did not immediately respond to Thursday’s email requests for comment. Whether this law has been applied to any current or former state legislators is unclear.
According to Rick Hasen, a professor at UCLA School of Law and an election expert, mandating that candidates share any name changes creates issues in Ohio but generally accomplishes the desired result. Hasen wrote in an email, “Disclosing a candidate’s former names used may make sense if they have something to hide in their past, such as legal action.”
Sean Meloy, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s vice president of political programs, stated that he is unaware of tracking efforts to determine how many states require name changes in application documents.
The strict enforcement of it is the biggest problem, Meloy stated in an interview on Thursday.
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 the types of school restrooms that transgender children and students can use and the 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 pattern to 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 lawmaker who was barred from speaking on Montana’s House floor last year after refusing to offer an apology for telling colleagues who supported the ban on gender-affirming care that they would have blood on their hands.
“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. For the transgender community, this is terrible news.”
