It wasn’t arduous for my father.
“I said, ‘I love you so much. You don’t have to feel like you’re going to do this alone,'” he recalled. “My first concern was to keep him alive, figure this out and get him the best care possible.”
He said it is his duty to oppose what he calls anti-trans legislation proposed by his party — as well as the fresh court ruling.
A Republican judge in Columbus has allowed an Ohio law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth to go into effect. Controversial Draft bill no. 68 prevents LGBTQ+ minors from accessing care such as hormone blockers, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and some mental health services.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Michael Holbrook ruled that lawmakers can withhold medical care.
“It’s antithetical to being a parent rights advocate,” Colby said. “They’re going to pass laws without much knowledge on the subject and tell parents how to best raise their child.”
Some Republicans in the state Capitol, however, believe that personal freedoms have their limits.
“We regulate what kids are allowed to do because we have a clear understanding that kids are immature, they’re not fully developed and they shouldn’t be making those kinds of decisions,” said state Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania).
Williams praises the court’s decision, saying families should watch and wait.
“They must receive appropriate psychological help to be able to cope with this until they turn 18, when they can decide for themselves whether they want their external appearance to correspond to their internal feelings,” the legislator added.
There is nothing to stop parents from undergoing the social transformation of their children, he said.
“We say these decisions are so hard and have lifelong consequences that kids shouldn’t have to make them,” he said. “But as a kid, we’re not going to constantly be supporting your inner thoughts and forcing society to follow them.”
Colby argued that lawmakers are not doctors, nor do they pay attention to research showing that this can be a life-or-death situation for children. In addition, 16-year-olds know their identity, he said. Transitioning before puberty can aid them combat gender dysphoria.
“It’s infinitely more complicated than it’s made out to be,” Colby said. “Waiting until 6 is unnecessarily cruel and ignorant.”
Colby is now working with other Republicans to find a compromise in which children would still have access to health care. But for now, he hopes the court ruling will be overturned.
“I fear that some transgender children may take their own lives, become substance abusers or become depressed as a result of not being able to access the healthcare they need,” he added.
The ACLU has just appealed to the Tenth Circuit, where a three-judge panel will rule on the case. Seven of the eight judges are Democrats, so it’s likely the lower court’s ruling will be overturned.
That means the case will eventually go to the Ohio Supreme Court, and Williams is confident the justices will rule in favor of the bill.
“The legislature has the ability to regulate this type of behavior by doctors,” the legislator said.
Child care is not a partisan issue, Colby said.
“Civil rights progress in America is often slow and painful and ugly, but over time we get it right,” he said. “I think over time we get it right.”
In the meantime, he added that Ashton is developing brilliantly and he hopes all parents will see their children joyful and well.
“I was a parent before I was a Republican,” Colby said.
