The Ohio Senate passed legislation on Wednesday that would protect children from transgender surgeries and ban males from competing in women’s sports, sending the bill to the desk of Republican Governor Mike DeWine.
The Senate passed the bill 24-8, with all but one Republican voting for the measure. The bill would ban surgeries such as double mastectomies on girls who identify as boys and other genital procedures for children with gender dysphoria. It also bans the prescription of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for children, though the bill contains an exception for kids already on the medication. Cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers have been associated with numerous health risks, including loss of bone development, fertility issues, and heart problems.
Senate President Matt Huffman said that the legislation was necessary to protect children from harmful treatments.
“Certainly the parents are the most important decision-maker in a child’s life. But there are things where it’s important for the state to step in and protect the child,” Huffman said.
The bill would also create protections for parents who do not want their child to undergo a so-called “transition” or allow them to undergo transgender procedures. The measure was primarily sponsored by Republican Rep. Gary Click.
Morgan Keller, a “detransitioner,” who testified before Ohio lawmakers in favor of the legislation, praised passage of the bill.
“Children everywhere deserve to grow up with their bodies and endocrine systems intact,” she said. “The passing of [the legislation] is a significant step in fighting against an ideology that says otherwise.”
DeWine has not yet said whether he will sign the bill, saying his office needed to look over the measure first. He previously criticized a bill that would ban males from competing in women’s sports.
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“This issue is best addressed outside of government through individual sports leagues and athletic associations, including the Ohio High School Athletic Association, who can tailor policies to meet the needs of their member athletes and member institutions,” DeWine said back in June 2021.
If DeWine were to veto, Republicans would likely be able to overcome it as they have a supermajority in both the House and Senate. Over 20 other states have passed laws shielding children from irreversible transgender surgeries and procedures.