COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio parents and doctors are testifying to prevent the state from enforcing a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
The trial against House Bill 68, the controversial legislation that prevents LGBTQ+ minors from accessing care such as hormone blockers, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and some mental health services, is being heard at the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. The bill also prohibits trans athletes from participating in middle, high school or college athletics on teams that align with their identity.
While litigation is ongoing, Republican Judge Michael Holbrook has blocked the law from going into effect.
Earlier this year, we reported that more than 100 families with transgender members have made plans to leave the state after Ohio Republicans passed an override on Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of a bill banning gender-affirming care.
RELATED: Over 100 families with trans members trying to leave Ohio amid new gender-affirming care ban
In December, DeWine vetoed the legislation and said: “Were House Bill 68 to become law, Ohio would be saying that the state, that the government, knows better what is medically best for a child better than the two people who love the child the most - the parents. I cannot sign this bill as it was currently written and just a few minutes ago, I vetoed the bill.”
The following month, the vast majority of Republican lawmakers voted to override DeWine.
This was heartbreaking for many families. For parents like Michael Moe, getting his daughter Madeline the support she needs is essential.
"She had gone from a child that had been very distressed and very upset to now being able to express herself as she wanted to be," Moe said while starting to cry.
That’s why he is one of the ACLU's witnesses, explaining how Madeline needs this care desperately. He, his wife and another transgender child and her family are fighting to stop the state from banning this form of healthcare. Per court rules, the families are using pseudonyms and aren’t shown on camera.
Joined by physicians and researchers, the plaintiffs argue that Attorney General Dave Yost's enforcement of the law is unconstitutional.
"These laws that are being passed deny her basic human rights," Moe said.
The supporters of the bill, like psychologist and sexologist Dr. James Cantor, say that children are confused.
Cantor has testified in numerous high-profile cases as an expert witness to states attempting to impose restrictions on transgender kids, but his background is in research on pedophiles.
"The number of cases of gender dysphoria, as I say, absolutely exploded at exactly the same time that social media took over adolescent growth," he said.
The sexologist testified for Yost, arguing against research articles and physicians who provide this care.
"We have enormous area of unknowns, and the risks are well documented — including the sterility of the children — but without any evidence of benefits that say that the risks are worth it," Cantor said.
The ACLU and their physicians have argued this rhetoric isn’t true, providing a surplus of research showing it prevents suicide.
"I have not had the experience where someone is specifically not thriving under gender-affirming hormone care," Dr. Sarah Corathers, an endocrinologist for kids at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital. "My clinical experience is the response to these therapies is positive and beneficial."
The trial will go until the end of the week.
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