Ohio House Democrats have proposed recent legislation to address issues that emerged during the March 2024 election cycle when four transgender candidates were contested.
In one of these cases, Vanessa Joy of Stark County was disqualified from running for a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives for failing to include her name on a campaign petition.
In addition to the privacy and security concerns that come with forced disclosure of transgender people by having to provide their dead name, Ohio’s forms don’t even include a space to provide their previous names.
To address these issues, bill sponsors Reps. Michelle Grim (D-Toledo) and Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) introduced HB 467 last week. If passed, the bill would provide an exception to a little-known Ohio law requiring candidates to formally disclose any name changes in the past five years. The exemption would cover any change in legal name.
The bill was referred to Ohio Government Oversight Commission on Tuesday for inspection.
There is already an exception in the revised code for changing a surname due to marriage.
“This little-known law puts transgender and other candidates who change their name at a disadvantage,” Grim said. “The law is unequally applied to Ohioans who simply want to make a difference in their communities.”
Piccolantonio, who took the oath of office on Jan. 10 to finish out the term of retiring Rep. Mary Lightbody, said the case affected more than just transgender candidates and included people who could legally change their name for a variety of reasons.
“I think clarity on what is required is extremely important,” Piccolantonio said. “This should not be a partisan issue and everyone should agree that the law needs clarification and correction.”
In addition to adding an exception, HB 467 would create space on candidate forms to list previous names and add gender-neutral language regarding candidates. The revised code now refers to applicants as male, reflecting how long ago the language was written.
Republicans are calling for more disqualification
Also on Tuesday, the same day that HB 467 was referred to committee, Reps. Angie King (R: Celina) and Rodney Creech (R: West Alexandria) announced in a press release that they are introducing legislation to allow any voter to protest against a person’s candidacy.
While current law only allows voters to protest the candidacy of someone from the same registered political party, the Republican-proposed bill would allow any Ohioan to protest any candidate.
On the Republicans’ list of reasons why eligible voters can protest an individual’s candidacy: “The individual does not provide his or her former name on the documents required to run for office.”
The press release failed to mention that there is no room in the required documentation to list these names.
“Transparency is key to the success of our elections,” King said in the release.
Despite touting the importance of transparency, Creech and King did not share in their press release that their opponents in the November election are two of the four Ohioans whose candidacies were challenged. Creech will face Democrat Bobbie Arnold, and King’s opponent is Democrat Ari Childrey.
“This move by the Ohio GOP highlights systemic discrimination in politics against transgender people like me,” Childrey said in a statement. “While my opponent appears to be preoccupied with his motivation for revenge in the Legislature, my priority remains supporting the needs of struggling working-class Ohioans. I can’t help but wonder if this has to do with her failed attempt to get one of her Republican Party friends to remove me from the ballot. “It seems like he can’t stand to meet a trans woman who won’t back down from her bigotry.”
Creech has previously said he doesn’t mind candidates filling out paperwork using only their legal name, even if it’s his opponent.
“[Bobbie Arnold] being on the ballot – it’s not a problem for me,” Creech he told WEWS/OCJ in January. “I had no intention of challenging Bobbie on the ticket.”
‘Harsh reality’ for transgender candidates
The Republican bill — which has not yet been assigned a number or committee — has attracted national attention.
Janelle Perez, executive director of LPAC, the nation’s only organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ women and non-binary candidates to public office, described the “difficult reality” of transgender candidates navigating a fraught political landscape.
“Insisting on using dead names on petitions and ballots not only erases their true identities, but also exposes them to potential harm,” Perez said in a statement. “It is unacceptable that in this day and age, transgender people are still subjected to such dehumanized treatment. This flagrant disregard for fundamental principles of fairness and inclusion is not only appalling, but also a serious threat to our democratic values.”
Piccolantonio called it “ridiculous” that arbitrary enforcement of unclear laws becomes the goal of individuals. But she also said this latest move is not atypical of the current term.
“My first vote was to vote no on HB 68, so I saw firsthand how this General Assembly has spent an enormous amount of time waging war against marginalized people,” Piccolantonio said. “[In this case]we have an unknown law that cannot be obeyed and must be changed.” 🔥
Editor’s note: This article was updated 4/5/24 to include information about Rep. opponent. Creech and his previous statement to WEWS/OCJ that he is not bothered by his opponent using his legal name in the candidate’s documents.
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