Ohio Governor Vetoes Bill to Protect Women and Children
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed House Bill 68, which would have barred physicians from performing “gender reassignment surgery” or prescribing “cross-sex hormones” to minors. It would have also banned schools from knowingly permitting transgender-identified male students to play on girl’s and women’s sports teams.
In a press conference held Friday, Gov. DeWine explained his reasons for the decision, citing his many conversations with families whose children had undergone “gender-affirming care.” Some parents, he said, feared that “but for this treatment, their child would be dead … these are gut-wrenching decisions that should be made by parents.”
The governor later clarified that he would pursue legislation banning transgender surgeries for minors, but that “the rest of the care,” including hormone injections should be available to children.
“Were I to sign House Bill 68.… Ohio would be saying that the state, that the government, knows better what is medically best for a child,” DeWine said.
When asked about the part of the bill dealing with women’s sports, Gov. DeWine said, “I focused on the part of the bill that I thought affected the most people … and did not even get to the other question.” The governor declined to state whether he would have signed a bill dealing only with that issue. “We’ll come back when this comes up later on.”
In an interview released Wednesday, fitness expert and nutritionist Jillian Michaels spoke out in favor of protecting biologically based sports. “Sports is biological. It just is.”
“Lia Thomas was number 400 when she swam as a male and number one when she swims as a female. We’re going to systematically destroy women’s sports.”
Michaels lamented, “I support equal rights for all transgender people but sadly sports is biological, and biological males on hormone blockers or not, are still far stronger, taller, more muscle mass than a biological woman. And women are getting hurt and it’s taking opportunities and money away from biological women.… That’s the truth.”
Gov. DeWine’s decision applies the logic of parental freedom to keep irreversible hormone injections for minors available, while seemingly drawing the line at surgeries. His refusal to address issues facing female athletes is a sad reminder that women’s sports are still under attack.
The governor’s choice should be a simple one: recognize the biological differences between men and women, and protect children from all destructive attempts to damage their healthy bodies.
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