Politics should not be personal. Now is the time to act for Ohio’s trans community.

By Ginger Williams, TransOhio board member

Politics become personal when one’s identity is attacked.  Unfortunately, for the transgender community, politics are personal.  

I’ve been a part of the trans community for well over a decade now.  I’ve witnessed some highs and lows, met some very interesting people and worked on projects that I’m proud to have been a part of.

The trans community is a wonderful group of people. We look out for our siblings. Safety and security are always a concern.  We ask each other about welcoming places to hang out, eat and drink. When we need help finding a good therapist, doctor or surgeon, we use our support network, do our homework and reach out to a professional, preferably local, who can best help us.

Our way of life is under attack

Recently, we have been combating transphobia and bigotry initiated by some lawmakers. Anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills abound in Ohio’s statehouse. 

• HB (House Bill) 8 forces teachers and school staff to out LGBTQ+ youth.
• HB 183, the “bathroom bill,” requires students from kindergarten through college to use the bathroom of their gender “assigned at birth.”
• HB 240 allows public schools to employ chaplains as unlicensed counselors
• HB245 bans drag performances in public places.

We have already suffered through the passage of HB 68, now a state law banning both gender-affirming healthcare for youth and trans participation in girls’ and women’s sports. We have witnessed the governor’s veto of HB 68, and then the state legislature’s override of that veto.

Ohio has some of the best health care in the country. To deny that care to transgender youth and their families is simply cruel.

‘The Ohio way’ is hurtful and restrictive

Now we have another battle: Gov. Mike Dewine’s idea of “the Ohio way” to deal with trans people by implementing restrictive administrative rules for gender-affirming care. These rules amount to a de facto ban on disadvantaged trans folks who don’t have the resources to obtain healthcare at whatever few hospital systems might be left to offer transgender healthcare when this is all over.

These draft rules are confusing at best. I may no longer be able to see my provider for my treatment.  My endocrinologist is a one-person private practice that follows the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) standards of care.  I’m certainly one of hundreds, maybe thousands, of trans adults who will flood the few transgender care facility options available if the Ohio Department of Health adopts the new rules. 

These rules are made to restrict transgender health care in a veiled attempt to rid the state of Ohio of an unwanted transgender population. This was never about protecting people.  This is about picking on a vulnerable population to play to a conservative base for the 2024 election.

We are outraged

A media outlet asked TransOhio, Ohio’s only statewide trans-led organization, whether transgender Ohioans were scared because of all of the anti-trans sentiment. We are NOT scared.  We are OUTRAGED because we are being bullied and used as political pawns. 

What the bullies don’t understand is that they are not going to break us.  A personal hero of mine, Michelle Obama, once said, “When they go low, we go high.”  We are a community that shows resilience in the face of such adversity.  After all, the first Pride started as a riot, and trans folks were leading the charge.  

In the early 1970s, Ohio medical institutions like Metropolitan General Hospital (now MetroHealth), Cleveland Clinic and Youngstown Hospital Association, along with pioneering surgeons such as Dr. Lester Persky and Dr. Richard D. Murray, were helping transgender patients become the best versions of themselves. We no longer had to leave the state or the country to receive surgical care.

We, as trans Ohioans, are grateful to them. These legacies should be embraced, celebrated and sustained, not stifled by bureaucrats. We have come a long way, and we are not going back.  

We do not need permission to be who we are

We applaud the trans community and allies who continue to fight for the rights of transgender Ohioans. With your help, we will continue to push forward – and this, too, will be history.

We, as proud trans Ohioans, ask for your action.

• Register to vote.
• Submit comments on the Health Department draft rules. Comments should be submitted to ODHrules@odh.ohio.gov no later than Monday, Feb. 5. In the subject line of the email, indicate “Comments on Gender Transition Care Rules.”
• Donate to TransOhio’s emergency fund to help us fight this and get trans folks the care they so desperately need. TransOhio’s Emergency Fund will provide financial assistance to families lacking access to gender-affirming care, needing help with relocation costs and other essential resources. The organization believes in the resilience of the trans community and aims to create a safety net for those navigating the challenges brought forth by HB 68 and similar legislation.
• To contribute to the Emergency Fund and support trans youth in Ohio, please visit TransOhio’s Donation Page or contact transohio@transohio.org.
• To apply for assistance, please visit TransOhio’s Emergency Funds Application Page. 🔥

ignite action

• To register to vote or to check your voter eligibility status in the state of Ohio, click here.
• To find contact information for your Ohio state representative, click here.
• To find contact information for your Ohio senator, click here.
• To access the full Trans Legislation Tracker, click here.