The following article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published on News5Cleveland.com under a content-sharing agreement.
While transgender Ohioans and allies lament Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signing a transgender bathroom ban bill despite 10,000 Ohioans reportedly urging him not to do so, Republicans are celebrating.
DeWine signed Senate Bill 104 last week, which prohibits transgender students from using school bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity in K-12 schools and colleges. This includes state universities, community colleges, technical colleges and private nonprofit and for-profit career colleges. The law will take effect Feb. 24, but the ACLU of Ohio said it “is closely considering next steps.”
“Transgender people are part of the fabric of Ohio; our families, our workplaces, and our neighborhoods,” the ACLU of Ohio said in a statement. “Every Ohioan deserves the freedom to be loved, to be safe, to be trusted with decisions about healthcare, and to access the facilities that align with their gender identity.”
More than 10,000 people contacted DeWine, urging him to veto the bill, TransOhio said.
“It is a travesty of justice and equity and a stain upon this state,” TransOhio said in a statement. “Our trans students and educators deserve so much better.”
TransOhio is urging people to continue to advocate at the Statehouse.
“We must hold the line and bear witness to the damage these legislators are doing by prioritizing extremist ideology over the needs of their constituents,” Trans Ohio said in a statement. “None of the cruelty coming out of the legislature will happen in silence.”
Kaleidoscope Youth Center called this piece of legislation absurd.
“The legislature is playing games, and it is our young people who are getting hurt,” Kaleidoscope Youth Center said in a statement. “This is not a game.” KYC is the state’s only group solely dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth and their allies.
The American Medical Association officially opposes policies preventing transgender individuals from accessing basic human services and public facilities consistent with gender identity.
The Ohio Education Association was disappointed DeWine signed the bathroom bill.
“SB 104 adds more state regulations that interfere with local control of public schools, discriminates against an already marginalized class of students, and provides no funding to cover school facility costs that may be associated with implementing the bill’s requirements,” OEA President Scott DiMauro said in a statement.
DeWine signed S.B. 104 without comment the day before Thanksgiving.
Ohio State University said it’s too soon to talk about specific implications on their campuses just yet.
“We are reviewing the legislation, will follow the law, and are committed to a welcoming environment for all members of our community,” university spokesman Ben Johnson said in an email.
What Republicans are saying
As a father of two teenage daughters, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said he appreciates DeWine signing the bill.
“It’s unbelievable that we’ve reached a point where a law is necessary to ensure the safety of young women in school restrooms, but unfortunately, that’s the reality right now in our society,” Husted said in a statement. “This common-sense bill ensures student privacy and safety, protecting kids and providing peace of mind for families across the state.”
State Reps. Beth Lear, R-Galena, and Adam Bird, R-New Richmond — the lawmakers who introduced the bathroom bill that was eventually woven into Senate Bill 104 — thanked DeWine for signing the bill.
“We are thankful that individuals will not have to worry about members of the opposite sex coming into restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms in Ohio,” Bird said in a statement.
“The Protect All Students Act will keep our children safe from exposure to the opposite sex while in private spaces,” Lear said in a statement.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost also thanked DeWine for signing S.B. 104.
“Thank you, Governor, for siding with biology, history safety and common sense,” Yost posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
