at least 22 states Prohibit gender-affirming care for transgender youth. But as of Friday, Ohio State was not among them. In a surprising move, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a die-hard conservative who previously signed a bill allowing teachers to carry firearms in class, announced that Ohio’s dangerous resolution, which consists of two anti-trans laws, He vetoed state House Bill 68. ”, which prohibits transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care, and “Save the Women’s Sports Act,” which prohibits transgender girls from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
“While this bill will impact a small number of children in Ohio, the impact could not be more severe for children and their families facing gender dysphoria,” DeWine said. He said this at a press conference on Friday. “I think ultimately it’s about protecting human life.”
2023 is a big year for transphobic bills, with more anti-trans bills introduced in the country in the first three months than in the past six years. According to Human Rights Campaign data, at least 35.1 Percent of transgender youth live in states where gender-affirming care is prohibited by law, resulting in devastating consequences for these children and their families. My colleague Katie Herchenroeder wrote earlier this year:
For families trying to figure out how to care for their children, each ruling brings new uncertainty each day and month. People already in care, including some adults affected by these laws, are left at a loss, having to decide whether to wait it out or try to leave the hospital. And even if they do find a way to escape, how will they know which states will remain as havens for care? This lack of life-affirming medical care can be devastating for transgender youth. According to The Trevor Project, more than 1.8 million LGBTQ youth in the United States, between the ages of 13 and 24, seriously consider Suicide rates are increasing every year, with at least one person attempting suicide every 45 seconds.
Dewine, who reportedly consulted with supporters of both sides of the bill in the two weeks before the vote, is the first Republican governor to veto a similar bill, following in the footsteps of Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas in 2021. He is said to be the second person to do so. of hill.
“If House Bill 68 becomes law,” DeWine said, “ohio would say [and] The government knows more about what is medically good for children than the two people who love them most: their parents. ”