A political showdown is looming in Ohio as Governor Mike DeWine, breaking ranks with his party, vetoes a bill imposing significant new restrictions on the lives of transgender children.
House Bill 68 (HB 68) bars doctors from providing gender-affirming care to transgender youths and prohibits transgender female student athletes from participating in girls' sports.
Governor DeWine, in his veto on Friday, argued that signing HB 68 into law would suggest that "the government knows better what is medically best for a child than the two people who love that child the most: the parents."
Notably, Ohio hospitals already require parental or guardian consent for gender-affirming care for young patients.
DeWine emphasized the gravity of decisions parents make for their children, noting that some parents have credited Ohio children's hospitals with saving their children's lives.
The Republican governor's veto is a rare win for LGBTQ+ advocates who have been combating a surge in anti-trans legislation and rhetoric across the United States.
Equality Ohio's policy director, Maria Bruno, expressed relief for Ohio's transgender youth, parents, healthcare professionals, and educators, who can now breathe easier.
However, the relief may be short-lived, as top Ohio Republicans, led by Secretary of State Frank LaRose, are urging the state legislature to override the governor's veto.
LaRose emphasized the duty to protect safety and fair competition for female athletes and to shield children from potentially irreversible medical procedures before the age of 18.
Republican Speaker Jason Stephens announced an early reconvening of the Ohio House on January 10, attempting to revive the bill before the official start of the 2024 legislative session. With Republicans holding a supermajority in both chambers, Stephens' efforts to bypass the governor are likely to succeed.
Despite claims that HB 68 aims to "empower parents and protect children," opposition from hundreds of Ohio families, including parents of transgender children, has been vocal. Last year, over 600 written testimonies opposing the ban on gender-affirming care were submitted to the Ohio House, compared to just 56 in support of the legislation.
In her testimony against the bill, Minna Zelch, a parent of a transgender daughter, questioned why she and her husband are qualified to make other medical decisions for their children but not qualified to decide on gender-affirming care. Zelch emphasized the basic right of all transgender kids and their families to decide their medical care.