Gov. DeWine signs order to ban gender transition surgeries on transgender minors
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order on Friday to ban Ohio's medical professionals from performing gender transition surgery on transgender youth.
DeWine's directive on Friday came one week after he vetoed House Bill 68, the "Save Adolescents from Experimentation" and the "Save Women's Sports" acts. The legislation would bar medical professionals from providing treatment known as gender-affirming care, like puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy, to trans children in the state.
"A week has gone by, and I still feel just as firmly as I did that day," said DeWine. "I believe that parents, not the government should be making these very crucial medical decisions for the children."
Still, the governor said on a Friday a ban on gender transition surgery is the exception because there is a "broad consensus against surgeries for minors. Nick Lashutka, Ohio Children's Hospital Association president, previously testified the state's children's hospitals "do not perform any surgeries on minors for the condition of gender dysphoria."
DeWine also announced on Friday that Ohio's Department of Health and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services will be proposing several draft rules that "will provide protections for children and adults receiving care in this area from hospitals and clinics," including the following:
- Requirement of a multi-disciplinary team to support an patient through gender transition care.
- Requirement of a comprehensive care plan that includes sufficient informed consent from parents of the risk associated with gender transition treatment.
- Requirement of comprehensive and lengthy mental health counseling prior to being considered for gender transition treatment.
In addition, the DeWine administration is proposing rules that, once in effect, will require Ohio's healthcare providers to report de-identified data that will be shared at an aggregate level on cases of gender dysphoria.
While the governor rejected H.B. 68 on Dec. 29, the Statehouse passed the legislation on Dec. 13 and could still go into effect given a three-fifths vote in Ohio's House and Senate would override the governor's veto.
“They told me their child is alive only because they received care,” said DeWine. “These are gut-wrenching decisions that should be made by parents and should be informed by teams of doctors who are advising them. These are parents who have watched their children suffer for years.”
Lawmakers amended H.B. 68 to include House Bill 6 to prohibit trans girls from taking part in female athletics and override the Ohio High School Athletic Association's trans student-athlete policy. H.B. 68 allows an athlete to sue for relief or damages if they are "deprived" of an athletic opportunity by a trans girl.
A similar measure in Idaho was rejected on Thursday by a federal judge who ruled that the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution's guarantees of equal protection and due process give parents the right to get gender-affirming care for their children.