The Ohio Senate Committee held the first hearing on Tuesday (*9*)SB 34The bill that opens the door to public schools to display the ten commandments in each class and erect them for monuments in public schools.

“The Act on historical educational shows” requires that from July 2026 all Ohio school councils must choose at least one of the following historical educational documents that can be displayed in each class:

• Ten commandments
• Mayflower Compact
• Independence Declaration
• North -West Regulation
• Motty United States and Ohio
• Magna Carta
• Rights card
• United States Constitution
• Confederation articles

In addition, the Act allows schools to erect a “monument or other marker entered on one or more historical educational documents” listed above.

The interrogation in the educational committee was only the testimony of the sponsor of the Act: Ohio Sen. Terry Johnson (R-MCDERMOTT).

Here are the nine most striking quotes from Tuesday’s audition.

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1. “The reason for this project is the disclosure of our students to documents that served in America as the spine of our legal and moral traditions as a nation.”

– –Dream. Johnson, recalling schools showing moral traditions, an approach that the Republicans of Ohio last year condemned only in the field of didactic parents.

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2. “In my opinion, it was impossible that there was no major focus on these historical texts in the academic arena in our condition, denying the significant legal and moral essence, which our children must develop as good American citizens.”

-Dream. Johnson, recalling the teaching of morality again, the next sentence. Just two months ago, pushing the Parents’ Rights Card, the Republicans of Ohio were repeatedly thrown away by “vile teachers” who approached all topics other than teaching historical facts.

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3. “Let’s hope that the cost will be transferred by society. I think there are many organizations that willingly donated them [displays/monuments] to schools. “

– –Senator Johnson, answering the question related to the costs posted by Senator Catherine Ingram (D-ccinnati). SB 34 does not set any restrictions on entities transferring funds or shows, be it churches or the center of Christian virtue Anti-LGBTQ+.

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4. “Why are there ten commandments here? Why are they among these documents? “

– –Ingram sleep, zero on a clear value from the list of historical documents.

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5. “Ten commandments, like other documents, are fundamental. They were on the front and center in the minds of our founding fathers, and even until the 20th century, these things were taught in class. The question for me is someone else: “Why not?” Considering the importance of these things in creating our country. “

-Dream. Johnson, trying to return the teaching in the class on topics from 1900.

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6. “You know that they used to apply hot iron on Baptists who used to say things that did not go [with] Christianity? Since then, we have come a very long path. “

-Dream. Ingram, emphasizing that some things have changed since 1900.

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7. “We don’t want to put the irons in a language and I don’t think that will happen if [the Ten Commandments] is taken into account. “

-Dream. Johnson to explain.

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8. “It’s not about ten commandments. Ten commandments are one document in historical panopes. “

-Dream. Johnson, trying to reject a clear value from the list of historical documents.

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9. “If we talk about religions, atheism is a religion. You must believe that there is no God. And the school is full of atheism and we don’t mind and I don’t really understand why. On the other hand, religion is not crucial for what we are talking about [here]. Historical documents that gave birth to our nation and the ability to track this breadcrumbs are important. “

– –Senator Johnson turned into his views on atheism – which no one mentioned – before he returned to the claim that the ten commandments contained on the list had nothing to do with religion. Ding

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Light

Let’s face it: 2024 ended pretty terribly for LGBTQ+ Ohioans.

On December 19, Republican lawmakers in Ohio passed a bill that would force teachers and school staff to exclude LGBTQ+ youth and limit mentions of LGBTQ+ identities in school curricula.

The 11-hour attack ended a two-year legislative session in which Republican lawmakers promoted a national trend of limiting the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender youth. The acts passed into law included:

• ADOPTED: Act prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors.
• PASSED: A bill requiring the forcible removal of LGBTQ+ youth to their families.
• ADOPTED: Act limiting mentions of LGBTQ+ in primary and secondary school curricula.
• ADOPTED: Act banning transgender people from using shared toilets in kindergartens and universities.
• PASSED: A bill banning transgender athletes from competing in kindergarten through college.

Even as someone who spends my daily life immersed in the text of these bills and their consequences for LGBTQ+ state residents, I feel overwhelmed reading this list of attacks on our community.

2024 is coming to an end and we only have a few weeks off before Ohio lawmakers reconvene. During this brief moment of respite, let’s look at the year ahead and what it holds for LGBTQ+ Ohioans. Five questions immediately come to mind.

1. What will most Republicans in Ohio do next?

In addition to the above bills that have become law, Ohio Republicans have also introduced:

• PROPOSED: A bill banning drag queen performances in public places.
• PROPOSED: A law banning library books containing “inappropriate” content.
• PROPOSED: A bill that would criminalize teachers and school librarians for displaying “obscene” material.
• PROPOSED: A bill to allow public schools to employ unlicensed chaplains to provide student supports, services and programs.
• PROPOSED: Banning public universities from using preferred pronoun uses.
• PROPOSED: A bill allowing any Ohioan to protest the eligibility of any candidate for office would specifically introduce additional challenges for transgender candidates.

Looking at anti-LGBTQ+ legislative activity in other states, Ohio Republicans will certainly continue to introduce anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Here are the most likely areas of concern:

• Further Criminalization of Affirmative Teachers and School Employees: The above laws banning “inappropriate” and “obscene” content are sure to return, with language as vague as in previous versions. Please also note that non-U.S./Ohio flags are prohibited in the classroom.
• Restricting Gender-Affirming Care for Adults: The Rev. Gary Click (R-Vickery) is already publicly saying that banning all gender-affirming care – from hormones to gender-affirming surgery – is a last resort, and he advocates for “small bites” to get closer to that goal. The next little bite will surely come.
• Pride Restrictions: In 2024, several local Ohio municipalities attempted (unsuccessfully) to restrict LGBTQ+ organizations from revoking permits for Pride events. We fully expect the proposed ban on public performances to return – which will change the face of Pride celebrations forever – along with possible legislation to make it easier for local governments to deny Pride permits.

2. Will pro-LGBTQ+ equality laws continue to be introduced?

Over the past two years, a number of LGBTQ+ equality laws have been introduced, including provisions aimed at:

• Establishing protections against LGBTQ+ discrimination that are not currently provided in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations (Fairness Act).
• Create marriage equality, currently banned in the Ohio Constitution but federally recognized… for now
• Statewide ban on conversion therapy
• Consider June your pride month
• Modernize and decriminalize HIV laws in Ohio
• Create an exception for trans candidates so they don’t have to provide their names on election materials.

However, while a total of 44 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in Ohio received hearings, LGBTQ+ equality bills received eight hearings. And only one of those bills – a bill creating an exemption for transgender candidates – made it through its first hearing and accounted for a total of three of the eight hearings.

We should celebrate that it took decades for the HIV decriminalization bill to pass in the House of Representatives, but we should also acknowledge that the Integrity Act – which has actually been in the works for decades – has somehow even reached an advanced stage less in 2024 further than in previous years.

Yes, the introduction of such laws undoubtedly increases awareness. But it’s also a low-key embarrassment that you can’t get a second hearing on something as basic as declaring June Pride Month – when the Legislature recently easily passed “Food Allergy Awareness Month,” “Lupus Awareness Month,” “Elderly Awareness Month.” “Ohio Month”, “Hindu Heritage Month” and “Ukraine Independence Day”.

That said, we expect our Sisyphean Democratic lawmakers to start rolling rainbow boulders up the legislative hill in 2025.

3. What will queer activism look like??

In 2023, LGBTQ+ Ohioans repeatedly gathered outside the Statehouse to shout their disapproval during anti-LGBTQ+ hearings, often disrupting proceedings and clearly frustrating lawmakers.

In 2024, queer activism seemed quieter, but no less lively. LGBTQ+ Ohioans flooded Governor DeWine’s voicemails urging him to veto the trans bathroom ban, held extremely well-attended legal clinics to facilitate trans Ohioans with name change processes, and testified in trucks to try to stem the tide. anti-LGBTQ+ legislation .

Trump’s second presidency is on the way – along with his he declared that he would attack trans-Americans on his first day in office – Queer activism in Ohio will likely go into defensive mode for the foreseeable future.

That said, a few weeks ago, more than 100 LGBTQ+ organizations across the state published a joint open letter to LGBTQ+ Ohioans with the message: “We stand with you.”

Our hope is that in 2025, these organizations can work even more together to leverage their collective power and facilitate create a more viable state for LGBTQ+ Ohioans to live in.

4. How many Ohio Pride celebrations will there actually be?

In 2024, there were over 130(!) LGBTQ+ Pride events across the state. From record attendance numbers in Cleveland, to the first Pride in Lebanon, to plenty of Pride drama in Brecksville/Broadview Heights, LGBTQ+ and allied Ohioans have proudly shared the message that in every community there are LGBTQ+ neighbors with the right to be seen and heard.

With Pride planning already underway, we look forward to learning about the location of the next Pride event for the first time. If your local community is hosting an inaugural Pride event, tell us!

5. Where can we find queer joy?

We know it’s demanding to see sometimes, but there’s a lot of queer joy to be found right here in Ohio in 2024.

Performing on stages throughout Ohio Balla groundbreaking comic about lesbians receiving flowers, a gay couple building community with plants, LGBTQ+ Ohioans finding time to not only survive but also celebrate their queer identity.

While The Buckeye Flame is committed to discussing LGBTQ+ legislation both locally and in the House of Representatives, we are equally committed to showcasing queer joy in 2025. To start the year, we added a up-to-date category to our website to make these stories easier to find.

We need your facilitate to complete this section. We rely on you, the readers, to tell us what’s happening in your corner of Ohio. If there’s something LGBTQ+ happening in your community – ecstatic or otherwise – submit a story idea.

We have some really stimulating things in store for 2025 – regular video content! A podcast with a wide reach! New employee! – but for now, we end 2024 with pure appreciation for our wonderful LGBTQ+ community in Ohio.

No, 2024 wasn’t basic. But together we moved forward. And that makes the Flame burn brilliant.

(*5*)

The fourth hearing on House Bill 8, the Parents’ Bill of Rights, was held Tuesday at the Ohio Statehouse.

If passed, the bill would force all teachers and school staff – including social workers and school counselors – to report to parents of LGBTQ+ students.

Under the bill’s language, schools must “notify a student’s parents of any changes in student services or monitoring related to the student’s mental, emotional or physical health or well-being.”

In April, the bill was amended to add “counseling services,” now requiring parents to be notified of everything a student shares during confidential counseling sessions.

Tuesday’s hearing featured adversarial testimony: people testifying against the bill before the Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education.

Here are 18 of the most memorable quotes from the fourth audition.

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1. “First, we would like to assure this committee and all legislators that working with parents is already a key part of what school counselors do.”

—Renee Stack of the Ohio School Counselor Association began her testimony by trying to refute the bill’s supporters’ arguments that the goal of nefarious school officials was to withhold information from parents.

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2. “Our primary ethical obligation regarding confidentiality is to our students. We believe a balance can be struck between this and parental involvement, but unfortunately House Bill 8 crosses that line to the point of creating unworkable requirements for school counselors that may be harmful to students.”

—Stack, who explained that it is unreasonable to require school counselors to notify parents of every modern emotion expressed by a student, given that counselors serve hundreds of students.

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3. “Asking school counselors to wait until they are certain that statutory reportable abuse is in fact occurring before making a ruling to protect a student from harmful emotional distress is a dereliction of our primary responsibility to serve and support students.”

—Stack, speaking about a part of the bill previously removed by Republicans that allowed school staff to refuse to notify parents if the counselor reasonably believed that the resulting situation would be hazardous to the student.

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4. “If this bill is passed, at the beginning of the next school year it is likely that all students will receive a message saying: ‘Due to the latest regulations, school employees are now required to report to their families.’ This message will likely be irritating and will be perceived as an infringement on students.”

—Heather Fairs, Ohio School Counselor Association.

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5. “Trust is the basis of what we do. This is where the magic happens. Without trust in the school counselor, students will undoubtedly hesitate to come to us.”

—Fairs, explaining how this hesitation can lead to harmful emotional and academic consequences for Ohio students.

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6. “A child belongs to the parent, not the state.”

—Rep. Josh Williams (Oregon) apparently doesn’t see the irony between this declaration and support for bills like HB 68 to ban gender-affirming care, in which the state would act as an intermediary between parents in determining the best medical care for their children.

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7. “Boasting as the ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights,’ these rights are already well established and protected by law.”

—Savannah Carlstrom website, Kaleidoscope Youth Centerone of many witnesses who emphasized that Ohio law already requires public schools to develop policies that allow parents to actively participate in their children’s education and maintain “consistent and effective” communication between parents and their children’s schools.

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8. “Bill‘S “supporters would like to protect a parent’s right to harm their child, especially if the child identifies with the LGBTQIA+ community.”

—Carlstrom’s website.

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9. “It is worth noting that lawmakers are asking everyone who testifies here today for better ways to communicate [between] minor children and parents. This bill is definitely not that.”

—Rep. Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) moments after Vice President Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) asked witnesses to come up with better language that would make it easier for schools to communicate with parents.

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10. “It is not the goal of school staff to withhold information from parents. In fact, the opposite is true, as we know that parental support is one of the main ways to improve youth mental health.”

—Danielle Smith, Ohio chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

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11. “If this bill is passed, students simply won’t talk to school staff about their concerns.“

—Blacksmith.

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12. “This bill not only rejects the devastating rates of abuse, violence and suicide among LGBTQ+ youth in their own homes, but also rejects the professional recommendations and protocols of trained medical, legal and educational experts on the very complex issues of gender identity and sexuality.”

—Cynthia Peeples, Fairness for Education in Ohio.

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13. “In Ohio, the first public school was built in 1772. I suspect that some students immediately sought help from the teacher to solve their problems or escape a toxic home environment, and this is still the case today. There are certainly people in this room, perhaps on this committee, who have once confided in a trusted adult at school about something they would never do or do with their friends, classmates, or parents. House Bill 8 recognizes this dynamic and eviscerates it.”

—Gary Daniels, ACLU of Ohio.

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14. “Pass HB 8 and the word will spread quickly among students. “Career counselors, nurses, teachers, schools – these people can no longer be trusted. We will have to find another place to go with our problems, assuming there is something else. For many children, there is nothing else.”

—Daniels.

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15. “Supporters of this bill specifically equated affirming LGBTQ+ identity with “sexually explicit content.” To someone who is offended by the very existence of LGBTQ+ people, the mention of [LGBTQ+] identity is implicitly a reference to sexually explicit content. This could result in severe censorship of LGBTQ+ families.”

—Maria Bruno of Equality Ohio, talking about a less-discussed part of the bill that requires parents to be notified about sexually explicit material in the curriculum.

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16. “It’s teacher appreciation week and that’s why I’m here.”

—Dion Manley of the Gahanna-Jefferson School Board, highlighting the irony of appreciating teachers during a hearing on a bill demonizing teachers as the enemy of parents.

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17. “If children don’t tell their parents, there is a reason for it. Forcing this conversation can devastate families who are not prepared to deal with it.”

—Jeanne Ogden, mother of a transgender child, who shared her family’s story in which Ogden stated that she was not as supportive as she could have been when the child came out to her.

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18. “You are considering a bill that would make it more likely for children to take their own lives.”

—Dr. Jennifer Simkins-Bullock, a neuropsychologist, sums up the situation.

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Ignite the action

The first hearing on the matter was held in the Ohio House on Tuesday (*7*)HB245which would ban drag queen performances in venues other than “adult cabaret.”

The bill specifically mentions drag queen performers, referring to “performers or performers who demonstrate a gender identity other than the performer’s or entertainer’s sex assigned at birth, by means of clothing, makeup, prosthetics or imitations of genitalia or breasts or other physical characteristics.” Depending on whether the event involves a minor or the performance is deemed “obscene,” which is not further defined, individuals could face criminal charges.

Tuesday’s 18-minute hearing before the House Criminal Justice Committee featured sponsor testimony: Reps. Angela King (R-Celina) and Josh Williams (R-Ore.) provided statements and asked several questions of their colleagues.

At one point, Rep. King had to pause, visibly choking up as she recalled a drag queen performance that took place in her local Celina community in western Ohio.

Here are 7 of the most memorable quotes from today’s hearing.

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1. “We have forgotten to let children be children and not burden them with the worries, concerns and social problems of adulthood.”

-Representative. King, not to mention that so much of LGBTQ+ students’ worries and concerns stem from adults in the legislature proposing bills that threaten their very existence.

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2. “I want to live by the words, ‘Ohio is a great place to raise a family.’

-Representative. King, not to mention that so many Ohio families have had to consider leaving the state because Ohio’s Republican legislators are overly focused on interfering between parents and their transgender children’s health care decisions.

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3. “HB 245 simply enacts important measures to protect children from exposure to adult-directed cabaret shows that contain adult themes, images, and performances.”

-Representative. Kinga, in a statement that is simply untrue. Representative Williams he said An ordinary trader in July that he finds Drag Story Hours obscene. “It’s a woman in bad makeup reading to a child,” he said. “It’s a show [that] demonstrates a different gender in the presence of a child for the sole purpose of desensitizing” children to the dragging of the performers.

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4. “This bill does not in any way change the current definition of obscenity under Ohio law nor does it in any way change the current definition of material harmful to minors. Instead, it simply applies these standards to indecent public performance.”

-Representative. Bill Seitz (Cincinnati), in a statement that is also simply untrue. This law does not only apply to public performances. The bill specifically added language relating to drag queen performers, expanding the definition of “obscenity” by targeting the transgender community.

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5. “This is based on the Miller test, which establishes the difference between legal artistic expression and free speech and what is obscene.”

-Representative. Williams. The Miller test came up frequently during this brief hearing. It is a completely subjective tool, as evidenced by Williams’ recorded statements in which he believes that hours of drag queen history are obscene.

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6. “I am aware of several district court cases that reviewed provisions that I believe are very similar to HB 245. These courts held that the provisions were unconstitutional in various respects, including that they contained unconstitutional restrictions based on content, unconstitutional point of view – based on limitations and unconstitutional because they are too vague and broad. These cases come from very red states, including Texas, Tennessee and Montana. Do you know these cases?”

-Representative. Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester), emphasizing that HB 245 does not have a radiant future.

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7. “We say that these categories of performances are illegal only when they rise to the level of obscenity. It is based on the behavior of the performer.”

-Representative. Williams, responding to Representative Brown. Once again, MP Williams is applying a subjective litmus test here… the same MP Williams who believes that drag queen hours, during which fully clothed drag queen performers read children’s books to children and hand out free children’s books to them, and promote literacy , are obscene events.

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Ignite the action

On Tuesday, witnesses testified on a bill that would force all teachers and public school employees in Ohio – including school social workers, counselors and school psychologists – to provide access to parents of LGBTQ+ students.

HB 8, called the “Parents Bill of Rights” by its Republican sponsors, passed the Ohio House of Representatives in June and now sits on the Senate Education Committee.

The bill also requires parents to be notified of any representations of LGBTQ+ identities in the elementary and middle school curriculum. This may include depictions of same-sex parents in children’s books, a student showing a napkin from a same-sex wedding to a sibling, or screening of a novel Disney movie.

Opponents of the bill outnumbered supporters of the bill by more than 5 to 1 at Tuesday’s hearing.

Here are 13 of the most memorable quotes from Tuesday’s hearing.

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1. “Why would I want to be a teacher in Ohio when my legislators are so obsessed with gender and sexuality that they don’t have time to pass legislation that would actually improve our schools? Why would I want to be a teacher in Ohio when my legislators are proposing laws that would prohibit me from putting family photos on my desk or talking about my family at all? Because this bill does not define “sexual concepts” or “gender ideology,” some have argued that my wedding photo or the questions it may raise qualify as one or the other.”

– Amanda Erickson, Kaleidoscope Youth Center, with a background in education

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2. “A young person is an expert on his or her own life, identity and experience. So if this young person feels that the safest person to turn to first is their teacher, guidance counselor or school janitor, this does not necessarily mean that they will never come out to parents and families, and it certainly does not mean that their teacher, counselor, or janitor has the right to come out to a student on their behalf. It simply means that a young person exercises their autonomy and privacy by choosing when they feel safe and comfortable to come out, and they have every right to do so. But the thing is, even if it means this young person will never come out to their parents or family, that’s okay too! All people, including young people, have the right to their own privacy.”

– Mallory Golski, Kaleidoscope Youth Center

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3. “If you are considering pushing this bill through, I want to ask you: what are you afraid of? What problem are you trying to solve? Trance inevitability? Trans youth? Trans-future? Because I’ll tell you what transgender kids across the state are afraid of: coming out to family members and being kicked out because of it.”

– Cody Clark, opponent

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4. “As this committee is aware, HB 8 requires school districts to notify a student’s parents of any changes in the student’s services or monitoring related to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being or the school’s ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for the student.”

– Gary Daniels, ACLU of Ohio, rebutting Chairman Andrew Brenner (D-Delaware)’s claim that the bill does not force teachers and school staff to make disclosures to parents of LGBTQ+ students, which blatantly confirms the bill’s language.

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5. “Why would a pregnant student report to the school nurse for morning sickness, knowing that the information should be shared with her parent, who would then kick her out of the house? What happens when a guidance counselor may be the only safety valve a high school student has regarding his or her questions about gender identity or sexual orientation, but now the information provided by the vulnerable student must be disclosed to other school personnel as would be necessary to ensure compliance with HB 8 and with the most loving and supportive parents as well as the most aggressive and threatening parents. No exceptions.”

– Daniels, emphasizing that HB 8 has far-reaching impacts for all students, not just LGBTQ+ students

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6. “Already overworked school counselors simply do not have time to report on our changing needs assessments with the frequency with which they occur for each affected parent.”

– Heather Fairs, Ohio School Counselor Association, on why implementing HB 8 is simply unsustainable

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7. “If students know that school counselors will be forced to reveal what has been communicated in private meetings, more and more of our students may be hesitant to come to us about sensitive issues that would require the most emotional support.”

– Bargain, on the chilling effect HB 8 would have

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8. (*13*) language or coping skills to be able to tell parents.”

– Liam Strausbaugh, National Association of Social Workers (Ohio Chapter)

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9. “If this bill had been passed when I was in school, I wouldn’t be here today. My mother would shoot me.”

– Annie Stillion, opponent

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10. “Even though the Ohio Legislature only passed 15 bills this year, we held 25 hearings and were counting on anti-LGBTQ+ bills like this one.”

– Maria Bruno, Equality Ohio

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11. “This bill became the Don’t Say Gay or Trans 2.0 Act.” Teachers will find themselves in impossible situations during normal classroom discussions, and any mention of LGBTQ+ identity can put their entire career at risk. Something as basic as a photo of a teacher’s family on their desk, or a student’s family or identity organically emerging as a topic, and teachers will be placed in an impossible situation. This is not hyperbole.”

– Bruno, on the part of the bill that bans the curriculum

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12. “Most scandalous [teachers] they conceal information about students’ mental and emotional health from parents. This occurs primarily when the student identifies as LGBT.”

-Lisa Chaffee, a supporter, describes “activist teachers” who have conversations that Chaffee says they shouldn’t have “for moral reasons.”

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13. “We don’t cooperate with the government.”

– Chaffee in an ironic statement considering Chaffee testified in favor of HB 68, which would have abolished the government’s right for parents to make health care decisions for their transgender children

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START ACTION

• To register to vote or check your eligibility to vote in Ohio, click here.
• To find the contact information for your Ohio State Representative, click here.
• To find a list of contact information for members of the Ohio Senate Government Oversight Committee, click here.
• To add your name, company or non-profit organization Equality, OhioStatewide “Ohio is Home” sign-on letter calling on lawmakers to reject HB 68 click here.

Wednesday was the fourth hearing on HB 183, a bill passed in the Statehouse that would prohibit transgender people from using shared restrooms and locker rooms in Ohio schools – from kindergarten through college – that match their gender identity.

Members of the state Higher Education Committee heard testimony from Reps. Beth Lear (R-Galena) and Adam Bird (R-New Richmond), the bill’s authors. The hearing took place just hours before the House was in full session and aimed to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of HB 68, a bill banning gender-affirming care.

Representatives Lear and Bird made key changes and additions to HB 183, including:

• Renaming the bill the “Protection of All Students Act.” It’s still all about bathrooms.
• Changing the definition of “biological sex” to exactly the same as in HB 68.
• Prohibiting all universities from building, establishing or maintaining multi-occupancy facilities defined as “non-sex, multi-sex or open to all genders.” Many colleges in Ohio currently maintain these spaces, and HB 183 will force their repurposing.

During the 40-minute hearing, we heard dueling Bible verses, rampant transphobia and some bizarre anecdotes.

Here are 20 of the most memorable audition quotes.

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1. “The title of the bill is now ‘The Protection of All Students Act'”

-Representative. Lear. Correct. The law, called the “Protecting All Students Act,” does not apply to guns. Or mental health. Or food insecurity. The Protecting All Students Act applies to bathrooms.

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2. “This redefines the definition of biological sex to the definition used in House Bill 68.”

-Representative. Bird, openly acknowledging a coordinated effort to unify all of Ohio’s anti-transgender laws

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3. “Why are you doing this?”

-Representative. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson), asking as clearly as he could.

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4. “I’m telling the truth, I hear this from superintendents and voters all over Ohio.”

-Representative. Bird, without providing any data on why this bill was proposed.

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5. “The vast majority of courts have held that excluding transgender students from using facilities consistent with their gender identity is in fact unlawful discrimination.”

-Rep. Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester), an attorney who has been practicing law for 35 years.

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6. “I believe this is an issue that is important to a growing number of Americans and a growing number of Ohioans because of the growing momentum in our country and state of such bill language.”

-Representative. Bird, expressing his sense of Republican priorities in response to Rep. Brown’s legal concerns.

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7. “There is a song based on Matthew:25 that basically says, ‘Whatever you do to the least of my people, you do it to me.’ How do you reconcile this law with the teachings you preach?”

-Rep. Joe Miller (D-Lorain) is trying a different approach

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8. “Thank you for touching on the Christmas season and what the Bible has to say. In the Gospel of Luke: 1 Jesus says that if you offend one of these least of mine, it would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the deepest sea. There are also concerns that Jesus has about children, and in the book of Genesis he said that he created them male and female.”

-Rep Lear with Biblical quotes regarding dueling, albeit misleading since Jesus did not appear in Genesis. I’m a gay Jew from New Jersey and even AND know this.

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9. “Can you see that in this General Assembly we do not separate church and state? What do you think about the religious endorsement included in this bill and the imposition of religious endorsement on those members of our society who may not subscribe to the Old and New Testaments?”

-Representative. Miller.

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10. “I don’t think we talked about what the Bible says during our testimony.”

-Representative. Bird, responding to Representative Miller, stating that he is completely wrong. During the October introduction of this bill, Rep. Lear quoted the Bible at length as a motivation for this bill.

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11. “This act does not specify the institution what the punishment will be. It’s their business.

-Representative. Bird, responding to the question of what universities should do with those who use the bathroom that matches their gender identity rather than the birth certificate issued to them at or near the time of birth.

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12. “We have a situation involving one voter who wished to remain anonymous, so I’m not going to name this person who has a mixed-race child. Her son is very talented in sports. At his rural school, there was an explosion in the number of girls identifying as men and using male facilities. Coaches and teachers warned him that he should no longer use the all-male facility because one of the women who identified as male might accuse him of something. So he is one of those who is forced to go to the teacher and nurse bathrooms.”

-Representative. Lear, telling a strange story in response to the question of what data influenced this law.

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13. “The young men at one of my high schools who had two girls in the cabins at band camp didn’t feel safe. They felt helpless and vulnerable.”

-Representative. Lear, turning to another anecdote as a source of data.

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14. “We are erasing women.”

-Representative. Lear, repeatedly and without provocation.

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15. “This is eerily reminiscent of 1950s discussions about how white women were afraid of black men.”

-Representative. Miller

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16. “I don’t think this bill is racist.”

-Representative. Bird, perhaps not seeing what Rep. Miller was trying to convey.

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17. “People who are not confused about their gender.”

-Representative. Lear how he repeatedly refers to transgender people. At no point during the hearing did Mr Lear use the word “transgender”, even when asked directly whether he believed transgender people existed.

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18. “My mutual sponsor and I believe this is so important that all schools should be included.”

-Representative. Bird, acknowledging that private universities opposed the bill but included it anyway. Representatives of Bird and Lear repeatedly assured that they had consulted these changes with universities, but did not indicate which ones, apart from Ohio State University, admitting only that they were all public institutions.

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19. “If I had a child who thought he was a bird, would I take him to a doctor who would let him discover being a bird, and by the way, there’s a 5-story building next door, so why don’t you see if you think he can fly .

-Representative. Lear in response to the question whether transgender people exist.

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20. “That’s offensive.”

-Representative. Weinstein, summarizing the meeting.

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