Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) vetoed an Ohio bill that would protect kids from receiving transgender treatments on Friday.
DeWine seems to think that kids should be able to receive “gender affirming care” and that transgender girls (biological boys) should be allowed in girls sports.
The now vetoed House Bill 68 included the “Save Adolescents from Experimentation” and the “Save Women’s Sports” acts.
The measure would have made it illegal for doctors to provide what the left likes to call “gender affirming care” to minors. This means that “trans” kids would be protected from things like puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy and life threatening surgeries.
As Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted (R) said, “permanent medical decisions concerning gender should not be made when you are a child,” according to WOWK 13. “We want to be sure children aren’t being misled, parents aren’t being misled, children aren’t being harmed,” Husted continued, “some of these decisions can be irreversible and so we need to make sure there are protections in place.”
Yet DeWine disagreed. He released a statement indicating that he’d spoken with parents of trans children who told him “that their child is alive today only because of the gender-affirming care that they have received.” DeWine also spoke to transgender kids themselves who insisted they were “thriving” because of their transition.
If a parent really loves his or her child, they shouldn’t allow the child to live a lie and head down a track of unnecessary harm and permanent damage. If a parent is abusing their kid, the government should take their kids away. This isn’t an instance of parents getting a say. This is an instance of allowing parents to abuse their kids.
I will give credit where credit is due and point out that DeWine did note that he rejects gender mutilation surgeries for kids, insisting that he wants to "ban" such practices in Ohio. DeWine also noted that he wants kids to have counseling before going down the track of transgenderism. I agree that kids should have counseling, but it should be counseling that points out the truth, not counseling that affirms a delusion.
Back in June, lawmakers amended H.B. 68 to include House Bill 6 which would prohibit transgender girls (biological boys) from competing in female athletics and would “override the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s trans student-athlete policy.” H.B. 68 would also allow girls to sue if they have to go against or are “‘deprived’ of an athletic opportunity by a trans girl,” WOWK 13 reported.
Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D) insisted that “the bill reverses the equitable access for trans students established through Ohio High School Athletic Association,” and added, “Denying this type of youth development to only some students is discriminatory and demonstrates to Ohio’s youngest citizens that not all people are treated equally.”
Realistically it just keeps girls sports fair and safe. That’s literally it.
The Ohio Statehouse noticed that and passed the legislation on December 13 and DeWine blocked it on December 29. If the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate can override DeWine’s veto however, the bill could go into effect. Time will tell what happens with this issue of such high importance.
