A judge in Franklin County, Ohio temporarily blocked a law that would protect children from so-called “gender-affirming” care, according to multiple reports. This type of care includes puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex reassignment surgery.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the legislation on behalf of two “transgender girls” and their families. The attorneys claimed that the law violates the state Constitution.
The law was slated to go into effect later this month (via The Columbus Dispatch):
House Bill 68 allows Ohioans younger than 18 who already receiving hormones or puberty blockers to continue, as long as doctors determine stopping the prescription would cause harm. Critics say that's not enough to protect current patients because health care providers could be wary of legal consequences.
The legislation does not ban talk therapy, but it requires mental health providers to get permission from at least one parent or guardian to diagnose and treat gender dysphoria.
The bill also bans transgender girls and women from playing on female sports teams in high school and college. It doesn't specify how schools would verify an athlete's gender if it's called into question. Players and their families can sue if they believe they lost an opportunity because of a transgender athlete.
"Today's ruling is a victory for transgender Ohioans and their families," Harper Seldin, staff attorney for the ACLU, told the Dispatch. "Ohio's ban is an openly discriminatory breach of the rights of transgender youth and their parents alike and presents a real danger to the same young people it claims to protect."
“This is just the first page of the book,” Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, said Monday. “We will fight vigorously to defend this properly enacted statute, which protects our children from irrevocable adult decisions. I am confident that this law will be upheld.”
This week, Townhall covered how Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, vetoed a bill that would have protected vulnerable children from experimental, irreversible “gender-affirming” care for minors.
These decisions come after many states have put laws on the books protecting children from these services, as Townhall has covered.
In Ohio, specifically, this legislation has been a hot-button issue. Late last year, Townhall reported how Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine vetoed measures to protect women’s sports and to protect children from irreversible, experimental transgender “care.” This includes puberty blockers, sex reassignment surgery, and hormone therapy treatment. Shortly after, DeWine reversed course and announced that he signed an executive order banning gender surgeries for kids.
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