Trans-Identifying Man Running For Ohio House Disqualified For Not Disclosing ‘Dead Name’

 A trans-identifying person running for the Ohio State House of Representatives has been disqualified for not disclosing his birth name, often referred to by trans-identifying people as his "dead name". goes.

Vanessa Joy was told by elections officials that she was ineligible to run as a Democrat for Ohio House District 50, even though she had collected enough signatures to do so, because she violated a little-known 1995 Ohio law which required candidates to run for public office. To disclose any name changes in the last five years on your signature petitions. According to The Hill, the law does not apply to marriage name changes.

Joey has legally changed his name, including his birth certificate, in 2022, and said he was unaware of the law.

"I have to put my dead name on my petitions," Joey told News 5 Cleveland. “But in the trans community, our dead names are dead; There's a reason it's dead – it's a dead man who's gone and been buried.”

Joy had planned to run against GOP candidate Matthew Kishman in a heavily Republican district south of Akron.

Joy said the law would "undoubtedly" prevent people with trans-identification from running for office in the future.

Joy said, "If I had known I had to put my deceased name on my petitions, I would have personally done that because getting elected was important to me." "But for many people it will be a barrier to entry because they won't want their names on petitions."

The Hill reported that the name requirement does not even appear in the Secretary of State's 2024 candidate guide.

Last week, Governor Mike DeWine (R) vetoed a House bill that would ban children from receiving transgender medical interventions, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender surgery, as well as ban trans-identifying students. from competing on sports teams. Opposite sex.

The office of Ohio House Majority Leader Bill Seitz (R) told The Hill he expects to get a vote to override the governor's veto on Wednesday, when the issue is expected to be voted on.

Joey's stepfather, Bill Roemer, is a member of the Ohio House and voted in favor of the bill. Joy has expressed a desire to run against Roemer and other Republicans.

At least three other trans-identifying candidates have entered the Ohio State House race. It is not yet clear whether he will also be disqualified.

The primary contest for the Rajya Sabha race is on March 19.