A bill that would prohibit transgender students can’t apply the toilet and a locker room that corresponds with their gender identity passed the Ohio House of Representatives Higher Education Committee on Wednesday by a vote of 10 to 5.
State Reps. Beth Lear, a Republican from Galena, and Adam Bird, a Republican from New Richmond, introduced Bill No. 183 which would require Ohio K-12 schools and colleges to require students to apply only the bathroom or locker room that corresponds to their sex assigned at birth. It would also prohibit schools from allowing students to share overnight accommodations with the opposite sex.
HB 183 is currently awaiting further consideration in the House of Representatives, whose next session is scheduled for April 24.
Bird said it was parents, grandparents and school principals who asked him for the bill.
The American Medical Association officially opposes policies that prevent transgender people from accessing indispensable social services and public facilities consistent with their gender identity.
HB 183 would not prohibit schools from having single-person classrooms and would not apply to individuals assisting a person with a disability or a child under the age of 10 who is assisted by a parent, guardian or family member.
State Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, thought about bringing an amendment to the committee that would have exempted colleges and universities from the bill but dropped the idea.
“I hope we continue to have these discussions about eliminating higher education,” she said. “The reason is we’re talking about adults. Universities are like cities in the number of students they have. Disrespectful lawsuits that will ultimately increase the cost of tuition and the cost to our families.”
Manning voted for the bill, even though she hopes lawmakers will continue talks to “find a better solution.”
Bird opposes removing the higher education section from the bill.
“The reason I oppose this is because in Ohio we have college credit plus,” he said. “We, the seventh graders going to college, the high school kids going to college and in that college environment, we need to make sure that they are protected.”
State Rep. Joe Miller, a Democrat from Amherst, expressed his disapproval of the bill before the committee vote.
“We are once again taking away the ability of school districts and colleges to make decisions that are best to ensure safe and equitable access for all Ohio students.” Miller said. “I I hope this case doesn’t end up in a courtroom or on the governor’s desk.”
More than 100 people testified against HB 183, and more than 30 people testified in support.
“We truly love and care about all children,” Bird said when asked about all the negative reaction the bill has sparked. “My Republican colleagues and I have heard from voters across the state. They may not have been vocal. They may not have been loud. They may not have come to the State Capitol with a sign, but we are here to represent the vast majority of Ohioans who want protection.”
Transgender advocates speak out against HB 183
Transgender rights advocates held a press conference after the House Higher Education Committee hearing to voice their opposition to HB 183.
Trans Ohio board member Carson Hartlage said HB 183 is harmful to all students, including cisgender students.
“Most transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming students begin using restrooms consistent with their gender identity only after experiencing some form of trauma while using the restroom consistent with their birth assigned sex,” Hartlage said.
According to the data, 30% of LGBTQ+ students said they were prevented from using the restroom that corresponded with their gender, and 26% were prevented from using the locker room that corresponded with their gender. GLSEN’s 2021 Ohio State Reviewwhich examines the school experiences of LGBTQ high school and middle school students.
According to the Ohio GLSEN report, when it comes to transgender and non-binary students, 42% of them could not apply the bathroom appropriate for their gender, and 36% could not apply the locker room appropriate for their gender.
Ohio’s first openly transgender public official and member Dion Manley, a board member for Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools, shared his concerns.
“As a transgender man, I have been using boys’ restrooms for 25 years without incident,” Manley said. “I visit schools regularly. That’s why these legislators want me to use girls’ restrooms in elementary, middle and high schools.”
Mallory Golski, manager of civic engagement and advocacy at Kaleidoscope Youth Center, said Monday’s solar eclipse put Ohio at the center of recent history in a positive way.
“We’re here wondering how it is that we’re at the epicenter of another piece of history,” she said. “And unfortunately, we’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.Like the fleeting blackout during a total solar eclipse, the history I am sharing on Capitol Hill today leaves transgender youth uncertain.
Jeanne Ogden daughter would be directly affected by this bill. The building that houses her daughter’s lecture hall There are no disposable toilets in the building, so her daughter has to cross the street to apply the toilet.
“These kids are being bullied and yes, their mental health is suffering,” said Ogden, executive director of Trans Allies of Ohio. “Trans people are exhausted. Parents are exhausted.”
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