Reaction mixed to Ohio trans bill pause
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — As the House Bill 68 debate takes another step forward, people are expressing polar opposite emotions.
Those against the bill said Tuesday’s halt is comforting and hope it is a sign that this will never go into effect. Others say it is a disappointment, but they are confident this bill will be in place soon.
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“This ruling is a tremendous relief,” Kaleidoscope Youth Center Civic Engagement and Advocacy Manager Mallory Golski said.
“This is incredibly disappointing,” President of the Center for Christian Virtue Aaron Baer said.
Those opposite viewpoints come from both sides of House Bill 68, an Ohio law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth as well as banning transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports.
Kaleidoscope Youth Center said it heard a lot of gratitude for this pause.
“The relief is just palpable. People are crying, people are crying, happy tears for once,” Golski said. “People are just enormously grateful that they have these two weeks to either continue on with the care that they’ve been receiving or to have the opportunity to pursue care if they have not been on hormones yet.”
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On the other side, the Center for Christian Virtue said it is dangerous to not have this law in place.
“Ultimately, more and more folks are realizing that these procedures are dangerous for children. It is wrong to tell a child that they are born in the wrong body. Whose body are they supposed to have, for goodness sake? That’s why this law was so important,” Baer said.
CCV believes this law will hold up in court.
“We feel confident that ultimately we will prevail, but it’s unfortunate that judge holbrook blocked it even for two weeks,” Baer said.
Others disagree and think the halt is telling.
“I think it shows that the outcome is likely to be on our side because we feel that the most important thing is parents should be able to decide on medical decisions for the children and parents working with physicians,” Trans Allies of Ohio Parent Volunteer Sam Shim said.
Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday that the matter is now up to the courts to decide.
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“We follow the law and so we’re going to see what the courts end up doing with this,” DeWine said.
Ohio’s Attorney General Dave Yost also issued a statement saying: “This is just the first page of the book. We will fight vigorously to defend this properly enacted statute, which protects our children from irrevocable adult decisions. I am confident that this law will be upheld.”
NBC4 also received a statement from Nationwide Children’s Hospital which said: “We are reviewing today’s decision and will continue to provide appropriate care for our patients under the law.”
The temporary restraining order will be in place for two weeks. Then the judge can decide to issue another one or put the law on hold indefinitely as the case moves forward.
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