Ohio Republicans Ban Trans Procedures On Minors, Boys In Girls’ Sports In Vote Overriding GOP Governor

 Ohio Republicans on Wednesday successfully banned transgender hormone treatments and procedures performed on children, and barred boys and men from competing against girls and women in athletic competitions.

Republicans in the Ohio State Senate voted to override Republican Governor Mike DeWine's veto of the bill, after which House Republicans voted to do the same on January 10, with that vote ending 65–28, as The Daily Wire had earlier reported.

House Bill 68 is composed of two acts: the "Protect Teens from Experimentation Act" and the "Protect Women's Sports Act." It bans transgender procedures on minors, such as double mastectomies on girls who identify as boys, and other genital procedures on children with gender dysphoria. It also bars men from competing in women's sports across the state, grades K-12 and at the collegiate level.

When DeWine initially vetoed the bill, he argued that passing it would hinder parents' rights.

"What Ohio is saying is that the state, the government, knows better what is best medically for a child than the two people who love that child the most, the parents," he said.

He also claimed that he was acting to preserve "life".

"Ultimately, I believe this is about protecting human life," DeWine said. "Many parents have told me that if they had not received treatment from one of Ohio's children's hospitals their child would not be alive or dead today. I have also been told by people who are now adults that If they had had access to this care, they would have taken their lives if they were teenagers.”

Although Republicans generally agree that these types of irreversible procedures are harmful to children and should therefore be banned, Republicans such as former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie have argued in DeWine's manner.

While launching her short-lived 2024 presidential bid, Christie argued that procedures such as double mastectomy and penis-removing vaginoplasty surgery are "a parent's decision."

Christie told CNN, "I don't think the government should ever step into a parent's shoes to help their children move through a process where the child is confused or concerned about their gender. " "Parents are the people who are in the best position to make these decisions."

"I want to make sure that every state is including parents in these decisions," he said. “People who are under the age of 18 should have parental support and guidance and love as they make all the important decisions of their lives, and this should not be something that is excluded in any way by the government. "

The law will become effective in about three months