On Wednesday, the Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 104, which will ban transgender Ohioans from using restrooms consistent with their gender identities and presentations from kindergarten through college, including at private institutions. The bill now heads to Gov. Mike DeWine for his signature.
Hours earlier, LGBTQ+ advocates from across the state held a press conference at the Ohio Statehouse, pleading with lawmakers to oppose the bill – which is one of more than 660 anti-transgender bills currently active across the country.
Gabreille Doyle – Manager of State Advocacy for national LGBTQ+ advocacy group The Trevor Project – warned legislators that, for the first time, new research has linked similar anti-transgender legislation directly to an increased risk of suicide among LGBTQ+ youth.
“Our research consistently shows that LGBTQ+ young people with access to safe and affirming schools and affirming teachers and staff have lower odds of considering or attempting suicide,” Doyle said.
“LGBTQ+ people are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but rather placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society,” she added. “This legislation will only further that.”
Outside the press conference, Columbus-based political lobbying organization and formerly designated anti-LGBTQ+ hate group The Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) held a boisterous prayer rally – nearly drowning out Doyle and other scheduled speakers through a set of closed doors.
LGBTQ+ youth are ‘negatively impacted’
Along with representatives from LGBTQ+ non-profits Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC) and TransOhio, Doyle discussed the organization’s 2024 National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth – which polled 18,000 LGBTQ+ young people between ages 13 and 24.
According to the survey’s findings, about 90% of LGBTQ+ youth across the country already report being “negatively affected” by anti-transgender legislation and political discourse.
A new study published by The Trevor Project in September found that between 2018 and 2022, suicide rates among LGBTQ+ increased by 72% as a direct result of state-level anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
In Ohio, lawmakers have already passed House Bill (HB) 68, banning gender-affirming health care for transgender minors across the state and banning the participation of trans female athletes in kindergarten through college.
During the 2024 general election, candidates spent millions of dollars on ads focused on transgender Ohioans, including longtime Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (Columbus).
New polling data from GLAAD and Ground Media indicates that anti-trans ads from the Trump campaign have “no statistically significant impact” on likelihood to vote or candidate choice. However, the data also revealed that the ads are greatly eroding general support for transgender people.
‘Bathroom bills’ in other states
According to the GLSEN’s 2021 National School Climate Survey more than 85% of transgender youth already report experiencing verbal harassment at school.
“We’re going to see increased levels of bullying and harassment,” said Honesty for Ohio in Education communications and program director Matina Bliss. “Trans people are under attack once again in Ohio, and we will not stand for it. Queer youth deserve so much better.”
Currently, 11 states have passed legislation banning transgender people from using restrooms that match their gender identity and presentation – including in Oklahoma, where transgender teen Nex Benedict died earlier this year after his classmates physically attacked him in a school restroom. 🔥
Correction: A previous version of this story referred to transgender teen Nex Benedict using they/them pronouns. Benedict’s pronouns are he/him. This story has been updated to reflect that information.
Ignite Action
- To view The Buckeye Flame’s full LGBTQ+ Ohio legislation guide, click here.
- 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.
- If you are a young LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact the Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
- If you are an transgender adult in need of immediate help, contact the National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
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