Ohio governor vetoes ban on gender-affirming care, school sports for trans youth

Key Facts

Ohio’s Republican governor vetoed a bill Friday that would have banned transgender children and teens from receiving gender-affirming health care and participating in middle and high school sports, as the treatment of transgender Americans remains a flashpoint in culture wars over education and health care rights.
Frank LaRose, Ohio’s secretary of state who is also running for Senate in 2024, posted on that "[we] have a duty to protect safety and fair competition for female athletes and to protect children from being subjected to permanent, life-altering medical procedures before the age of 18.”
Jim Renacci, a former Republican U.S. representative who unsuccessfully challenged DeWine for the governorship in 2022, said “DeWine is not a Republican” and that “HB 68 is the easiest bill for a Republican Governor to sign.”
DeWine is one of just a handful of Republican governors who have vetoed sweeping bills seeking to block transgender youths from accessing gender-affirming health care, like hormone replacement and puberty blockers, and limit the participation of transgender girls and women in K-12 and collegiate sports.