GLSEN Condemns Ohio Senate for Anti-Trans Bill

GLSEN Condemns Ohio Senate for Anti-Trans Bill

January 24, 2024 – GLSEN, the leading education organization dedicated to protecting LGBTQ+ youth grades K-12, condemns the Ohio legislature for overriding Gov. DeWine‘s veto of HB68, an anti-trans bill. The new law bans trans athletes from competing in sports and bans access to gender affirming care. The bill fails to acknowledge the high rates of bullying and discrimination faced by students in Ohio's schools, and the new state law will only cause even more egregious harm by denying access to life saving medical care to trans youth.

By enacting HB 68, Ohio has made the state an unsafe home for trans students by preventing them from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity and from receiving essential gender affirming care. Participating in school sports presents a foundation for students and helps participants learn necessary team building skills, teaches students how to work together to reach a common goal, and can act as a means for self expression. By overriding the veto, the Ohio state legislature is actively removing opportunities for trans students to grow into self-sufficient adults by barring them from participating in events that remain available to their peers. These restrictions have resulted in catastrophic consequences for trans youth and have been shown to have a negative impact on LGBTQ+ youth’s physical, social, and mental and development health.

The following statement is from GLSEN’s Executive Director, Melanie Willingham-Jaggers (they/she):

“Ohio has become an inhospitable place for LGBTQ+ youth, especially trans students. The Ohio Legislature’s extreme override of Governor DeWine’s veto not only bars students from engaging in school sports aligned with their gender identity but also denies the right to receive essential gender-affirming care. Every child should have the right to grow and thrive in their community, and politicians in Columbus shouldn’t be standing between a student and their coach or a family and their doctor. This unjust action undermines the very principles of equality and acceptance we strive for in our democracy. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we mobilize to the ballot boxes, casting our votes for pro-equality candidates who will pave the way for inclusive spaces where every student can thrive without the weight of discriminatory barriers. Our collective action is the key to unlocking a future built on equality and liberation for all."

For press inquiries, please reach out to:

GLSEN
Madison Hamilton, Director of Communications and Public Voice
madison.hamilton@glsen.org

Lucky Break PR
Mark Umbach, Lucky Break PR
mark@luckybreakpr.com

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About GLSEN

GLSEN is a multi-racial intergenerational LGBTQ+ organization working nationally and locally to transform K-12 educational systems in the United States. Each year, GLSEN programs and resources reach millions of students and educators in K-12 schools, via action at the national, state, and local level. Since 1990, GLSEN has improved conditions for LGBTQ+ students across the United States and helped launch an international movement to address LGBTQ+ issues in education.