Voters oppose candidates who campaign against transgender people, poll finds

Watch a previous NBC4 report on H.B. 68 in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- As an Ohio law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors takes effect next month, a new survey has found a majority of voters oppose political candidates who often discuss restrictions on trans Americans.

About 53% of registered and likely 2024 voters said they oppose political candidates who speak frequently about restricting access to health care and participating in sports for trans youth, according to the poll by GLAAD, the world's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. The survey also found 81% of 2024 voters, 83% of swing voters and 73% of Trump voters believe decisions about health care and mental health services for trans youth should be made by parents.

"Voters are insisting that politicians focus instead on the real issues facing our nation, including inflation, abortion rights, and climate change," said GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. "Candidates, parties, strategists and reporters are on notice about the power of the LGBTQ vote and the issues that should be demanding attention."

GLAAD's survey comes as House Bill 68 will take effect in Ohio on April 23, prohibiting children's hospitals from providing treatment like gender-reassignment surgery and hormone therapy to trans minors. The Statehouse voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of the legislation, which also bans trans athletes' participation in women's sports.

DeWine rejected the bill after visiting several children's hospitals, arguing "parents should make these decisions and not the government." However, Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), the bill's primary sponsor, called gender-affirming care an "experiment" and has long argued "children are incapable of providing the informed consent necessary to make those very risky and life-changing decisions."

While the ACLU of Ohio announced Tuesday it filed a lawsuit to halt the law, Click said the complaint is "not surprising" and "par for the course," and argued H.B. 68 was written "to be bulletproof when it came to lawsuits."

H.B. 68 is one of four anti-LGBTQ+ bills progressing in Ohio, among more than 725 proposed laws moving through statehouses across the nation. These bills are now galvanizing the LGBTQ+ community to participate in the 2024 election, GLAAD's survey said. The poll found 94% of LGBTQ+ registered voters are motivated as the presidential and key congressional campaigns approach and are definitely voting this November.

GLAAD also said 49% of LGBTQ+ voters reported experiencing real-world harassment or bullying caused by the current state of political discourse. In addition, 72% experience negative impacts to their mental health and emotional well-being caused by political discourse.

"GLAAD’s research shows that LGBTQ Americans are ready to exert their significant power to shape electoral politics, choose responsible leadership, and use their voices to advocate for equality," Ellis said. "Our new survey also shows that the majority of all voters reject harmful anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and candidates who spread it."

Other anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed at the Ohio Statehouse include House Bill 245, a "drag queen ban" bill that would prohibit "adult cabaret performances," defined as a show "harmful to juveniles" that features "entertainers who exhibit a gender identity that is different from the performers’ or entertainers’ gender assigned at birth."

House Bill 183 would prohibit schools from allowing trans students to use a bathroom that doesn't correspond with the gender assigned to them at birth. The bill states institutions are required to set separate facilities based on a student's "biological sex," meaning "the sex listed on a person's official birth record."

House Bill 8 -- the "Parents' Bill of Rights" -- would require teachers to notify parents before teaching "sexuality content" and of any change in a student's mental, emotional or physical health. The legislation would also provide parents the opportunity to request excusal for their child from lessons, and parents whose concerns aren’t resolved after 30 days would be granted a hearing with the district’s board of education.