After speaking with healthcare providers and the families of transgender children, Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed an anti-LGBTQ+ measure that would have banned transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care and participating in public school sports, The Advocate reported.
At a press conference, DeWine said, "Were I to sign House Bill 68, or were House Bill 68 to become law, Ohio would be saying that the state, that the government knows better what is medically best for a child than the two people who love that child the mosttheir parents."
House Bill 68 would have prevented doctors and other healthcare providers from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to minors if they were being used for gender transition. It would have also barred trans women and girls from participating in female sports categories at public institutions.
However, DeWine stated that he plans to draft a provision that would ban minors from receiving gender-affirming surgery in Ohio, and prevent "pop-up clinics" from performing such care. He also intends to direct his administration to gather data on the number of gender-affirming surgeries performed in Ohio (on adults and minors).
Andrew Davis