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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Republicans in Ohio blocked their own bill from advancing for this General Assembly on Tuesday that would dramatically limit health care for LGBTQ+ youth.
HB 454 was introduced by State Representative Gary Click, a Republican from Vickery. It received national backlash following a News 5 investigation which revealed that the bill impacting the LGBTQ+ community was drafted without a basic understanding of the people it would impact and that the lawmaker had never spoken to any members of the trans community before write, present or testify on the bill.
“The Click representative has made the decision to suspend HB 454,” Click’s office said. “He felt it would be too rushed to get the bill through during the lame duck and get it right.”
In a crowded hearing with two overflowing rooms, dozens of opponents gathered to testify ahead of Thanksgiving against House Bill 454, a bill to ban gender-affirming care for minors. This includes puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and some mental health services.
Doctors, parents, transgender adults, trans children, and LGBTQ+ advocates all had the same mission: to stop this bill. On Tuesday night, Equality Ohio and transgender activists like Cam Ogden are counting the delay as a victory.
Unfortunately, says Ogden, it’s likely to appear once the New Year rolls around. The Click team confirmed it.
“The bill will be back the next GA because it is essential to protect our children from ongoing medical risks,” said a legislative aide.
Invoice comparison
The bill received a facelift following the News 5 investigation. Leaked to News 5, sub-HB 454 drastically changed the legislation. Instead of an outright ban on gender-affirming care for LGBTQ+ minors, the language has changed to allow for more parental voice and some exceptions.
Previously, it would ban gender-affirming care for trans and non-binary young people, including hormone blockers, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), medical or surgical procedures and certain mental health services. Healthcare professionals who provide this care could lose their license and be sued. Public funding would be withdrawn from institutions that care for transgender youth. Insurers and Medicaid would not cover gender affirmation procedures for minors. The original bill would require counselors to tell parents if the minor is having gender-related thoughts, which has opponents citing concerns for the child’s safety.
The bill now distinguishes between different types of gender-affirming care, still banning gender-confirmation surgery (called “sex-reassignment surgery” in the text) for minors, but appears to ease from other guidelines, which Ogden reiterates is not how she or other LGBTQ+ advocates see it.
The bill has also been updated with a new provision that activists say would create a type of registry for transgender children.
To learn more about the changes, click here.
Click on the replacement bill
Click did not respond to any questions from News 5, but did respond to other reporters about the changes.
“They have to work through this to make sure it’s not a phase, it’s not a social contagion,” he said.
The lawmaker said it was a “compromise” hearing from “both sides”.
“I’ve heard all these arguments before, so nothing, I haven’t heard anything new today,” he said. “And I’m so glad they came because everyone has a right to be heard.”
Reaction
Democrats are celebrating, with House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Columbus) saying “the decision to suspend further motion this session on HB454 is a momentous victory for transgender children and their families.”
“I would like to thank the courageous family members, allies and medical professionals who testified before the committee for sharing their personal stories and evidence-based scientific positions that clearly impacted the future. of this bill,” she continued. “HB 454 blatantly ignores medical advice and interferes with personal health decisions that should be made between children, families and their doctors. Ohio cannot be a state of opportunity if we do not embrace our diversity and strive to achieve greater equality for all.
Susan Tebben contributed to this article.
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