The Ohio Senate approved the ban on Wednesday. Transgender students using the restroom Sent Republican Governor Mike DeWine a bill tailored to his gender identity.
The Republican-backed bill would apply to public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. This requires schools to designate separate restrooms, locker rooms, and lodging facilities for the “exclusive use” of males and females based on their sex assigned at or near birth, both in school buildings and in facilities used for school-sponsored events.
The bill does not apply to school employees, emergency responders or those assisting children or people with disabilities, and schools can still provide single-use and family restroom facilities.
State Sen. Jerry Cirino, a Kirtland Republican, said the bill “is about safety and security.”
The ACLU of Ohio urged the governor not to sign the bill, saying it would violate the privacy rights of LGBTQ+ Ohioans and make them less safe.
“We are closely examining next steps.” The ACLU said on social media:
“If SB 104 goes into effect, it will create a dangerous environment for transgender and gender non-conforming people of all ages,” Jocelyn Rosnick, the group’s policy director, said in a statement. “This bill ignores the material reality that transgender people experience higher rates of sexual violence and assault than non-transgender people, especially when using public restrooms.”
Transgender and gender non-binary youth who were restricted from restrooms or locker rooms had higher rates of sexual assault. According to a 2019 study It was published in the journal Pediatrics. Approximately 36% of teenagers who participated in the survey reported sexual assault.
The Center for Christian Virtue praised lawmakers for passing the bill and asked DeWine to sign it. The governor said he intends to sign the bill but will conduct a legal review first.
“Today is a huge victory for Ohio children and families,” CCV Policy Director David Mahan said in a statement. “The SB104 amendment is common sense legislation that will ensure that the only people entering young women’s private spaces are women and not men claiming to be women.”
at least 11 states Adopted laws prohibiting transgender girls and women from entering girls’ restrooms in public schools and, in some cases, restrooms in other government facilities.
This law is in effect in Alabama. arkansasFlorida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah. In Idaho, a judge ordered a stay on execution.
Ohio House Republicans passed the bill in June after attaching it to a proposal for a college credit program for Ohio high school students, much to the displeasure of one of the Democratic state senators who signed on as a co-sponsor.
Sen. Catherine Ingram of Cincinnati said she would remove her name from the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Nikki Antonio said she couldn’t believe Republican leaders prioritized legislation the first day after the November election.
“There should be no exceptions to freedom and justice for all. But here we are telling our children that there are also those who are inferior,” she said. “This bill is not about bathrooms. It’s about demonizing other people, and our children are seeing and hearing fear mongering.”
