Governor DeWine's executive directive effectively acts as a ban on transgender care

By J. Alex- Jan 9, 2024

Columbus, OH – After vetoing Ohio House Bill 68, a measure aimed at prohibiting gender-affirming care for transgender individuals below 18, Governor Mike DeWine introduced an executive order and proposed limitations on transgender care. These restrictions, if enacted, could effectively restrict access to care for transgender youth and adults. The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction's proposal is open to public feedback until January 19, while the Ohio Department of Health's proposal is open until February 5.

These measures would hinder most primary care providers from administering hormone treatments to transgender individuals of any age. They impose a series of stringent and medically unsupported requirements and pose a significant threat to healthcare access statewide. Should they take effect, thousands of transgender individuals in Ohio might be deprived of vital healthcare treatments necessary for their well-being.

Photo byJohn Minchillo /Shutterstock

"These proposals could endanger the lives and welfare of transgender individuals in the state, placing unnecessary barriers between them and their healthcare providers. This unjustifiable attempt to interfere in Ohioans’ healthcare choices poses a grave risk to transgender individuals' lives and their autonomy. To safeguard their fundamental right to self-determination and protect their lives, these extreme and perilous proposals should not progress. Ohioans have spoken clearly in favor of keeping government officials out of private healthcare decisions; these decisions should remain within the realm of families and medical professionals, not politicians."

While 22 states have implemented age limitations on gender-affirming care, Florida stands as the only state enforcing restrictions that seek to deny care to transgender individuals regardless of age. Accessing necessary care is already a considerable challenge for many transgender individuals due to financial hardships, discrimination, and a shortage of healthcare providers.

The widely endorsed medical consensus supports gender-affirming care as an effective treatment for gender dysphoria, backed by esteemed organizations like the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association.

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