The Ohio Senate approved the ban on Wednesday transgender students using the bathroom That aligns with their gender identity and sent the measure to Republican Governor Mike DeWine.
The Republican-backed bill applies to public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. It requires schools to provide separate bathrooms, locker rooms, and restrooms “for the exclusive use” of males and females, based on sex at or near birth, in both school buildings and facilities used for school-sponsored programs. Residence is required to be designated.
The law will not apply to school employees, people who respond to emergencies or help young children or people with disabilities, and schools will still be able to provide single-use and family bathroom facilities.
State Senator Jerry Cirino, a Kirtland Republican, said the bill is “about safety and security.”
The ACLU of Ohio urged the governor not to sign the measure, which it condemned as a violation of the privacy rights of LGBTQ+ Ohioans that would make them less safe.
“We are considering next steps closely,” the ACLU said on social media.
“If allowed to go into effect, SB 104 will create an unsafe environment for trans and gender non-conforming individuals of all ages,” Jocelyn Rosnick, the group's policy director, said in a statement. “This bill ignores the physical reality that transgender people endure higher rates of sexual violence and assault than non-transgender people, especially when using public restrooms.”
Transgender and gender-nonbinary teens who were subject to restroom or locker room restrictions had a higher prevalence of sexual assault, According to a 2019 study Published in the journal Pediatrics. The study found that approximately 36% of teens surveyed reported sexual assault.
The Center for Christian Virtue praised legislators for passing the bill and called on DeWine to sign it. The governor has said he is willing to sign the bill, but will conduct a legal review first.
“Today is a huge victory for children and families in Ohio,” CCV Policy Director David Mahan said in a statement. “Amended SB104 is common-sense legislation that will guarantee that the only people who enter young women's private spaces are women, not men claiming to be women.”
at least 11 states Laws banning transgender girls and women from using girls' and women's bathrooms in public schools and in some cases other government facilities have been adopted.
The laws are in effect in Alabama, arkansasFlorida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah. A judge's order halting enforcement is in effect in Idaho.
Ohio House Republicans attached a resolution regarding Ohio's college credit program for high school students before passing it in June, drawing the ire of one of the Democratic state senators who served as a co-sponsor. Was signed in.
Senator Katherine Ingram of Cincinnati said she was withdrawing her name from the bill.
Senate Democratic leader Nikki Antonio said she couldn't believe Republican leaders prioritized the bill on the first day after the November election.
He said, “Liberty and justice for all should have no exceptions, yet here we are telling our children that there are people who are lesser.” “This bill is not about bathrooms. It's about demonizing people who are different, and our children seeing and hearing fearmongers.”