Ohio Rep slams ‘cold, callous, and calculated’ anti-trans bill passed
Ohio Rep. Shontel Brown lambasted the anti-trans bill after the Senate voted to override Governor Mike DeWine’s veto. (Getty Images)
An Ohio Rep has lambasted a “cold, callous, and calculated” anti-trans bill that passed after the Senate voted to override the governor’s veto.
Democratic Rep. Shontel Brown issued a statement on Wednesday (24 January) to make it clear that she stood with the individuals, families, and medical professionals who would be affected by the hateful bill, which will come into effect in 90 days.
House Bill 68 will block trans and non-binary minors from accessing gender-affirming treatments and ban trans athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
The Senate’s decision to pass the bill makes Ohio the 22nd state that has introduced a law to restrict trans minors from accessing gender-affirming care, and the 24th to restrict trans girls and women from taking part in women’s school sports teams.
Republican Governor Mike DeWine had originally vetoed the bill back in December, arguing that it would endanger transgender youth and revoke parents’ abilities to make decisions for their child.
“Ultimately, I believe this is about protecting human life,” DeWine told press at the time.
“Many parents have told me that their child would not have survived – would be dead today – if they had not received the treatment they received from one of Ohio’s children’s hospitals.”
However, both the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio’s Senate have now voted to override that veto, forcing LGBTQ+ Ohioans and their families to consider relocating.
Criticising the decision to override the governor’s veto and pass the “cold, callous, and calculated” bill, Rep. Brown said in a scathing statement: “I strongly condemn the override of Governor DeWine’s veto and will continue to stand with my constituents in defense of their right to make their own health care decisions.
“Accessing gender-affirming care is a deeply personal decision – one that should be made in consultation with family, loved ones, and medical professionals, not politicians. Ohioans deserve elected officials who put personal dignity over politics. This action by extremists in the General Assembly makes clear that we need federal legislation to further protect LGBTQ+ rights.”
Contrary to what many signators of the bill have claimed, gender-affirming care is a very real and often life-saving treatment that is approved by all major medical associations.
Brown’s statement comes after a similar warning issued by Rep. Jessica R. Miranda who had told the Ohio House, just before they successfully voted to override the governor’s veto, that doing so would be “killing children.”
“Folks, please watch closely what is happening here today. Find out who truly cares about your privacy,” she had told Ohio citizens.
“The so-called party of personal and parental rights and privacy is voting to take away your parental rights. The party of so-called freedom is voting to take away your freedom today, against their own Republican governor.”
“The proverbial boogey-man who doesn’t exist is killing our democracy. And with this vote to override the governor’s veto today, you are literally killing our children. Take that in for a moment. Literally killing our children, all to win your Republican primary races. Disgusting.”
