Columbus, OH – June 27, 2024
In the late hours of the night on June 26th the Ohio House Republicans attached an anti-LGBTQ+ amendment to an unrelated bill, forcing a vote on language that bypassed the usual legislative process. Representative Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) proposed amending Senate Bill 104, originally intended to update the College Credit Plus Program, to include HB 183. This amendment bans transgender individuals in Ohio’s schools from using multi-person restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their gender identity.
Dubbed the “Protect All Students Act,” despite solely addressing bathroom use, the bill applies to all Ohio educational institutions, from kindergarten through college, both public and private. It also bans colleges from constructing or maintaining multi-occupancy facilities designated as “nongendered, multigendered, or open to all genders.” The House passed the amended bill with a 60-31 vote.
By amending a Senate-originated bill, House Republicans circumvented the normal legislative process, avoiding Senate Committee hearings for HB 183. The Senate needs only to concur with the amended SB 104 to send the bathroom bill to Governor Mike DeWine for approval, which is not expected to occur until the fall.
“These underhanded tactics by certain members of the Ohio legislature are a blatant attempt to undermine the rights and dignity of transgender and gender diverse individuals,” said Densil Porteous, Executive Director of Stonewall Columbus. “Our community deserves to live with the same safety and respect in public spaces as anyone else. This last-minute maneuvering is not only disrespectful but also harmful, and it shows a disregard for the real issues facing Ohioans.”
The amendment to SB 104 impacts youth and adults, including bathrooms and overnight accommodations in all school and university-related facilities, such as stadiums and school-sanctioned field trips.
Transgender college students, like their cisgender counterparts, face alarmingly high rates of sexual assault and harassment. Statistics show that 20.3% of transgender college students have reported being sexually assaulted, compared to 20.4% of cisgender women in college. HB 183, and now SB 104, will only exacerbate these incidents.
House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and Representative Beth Liston (D-Dublin) voiced strong opposition to the amendment, highlighting the real issues facing Ohio’s youth, such as poverty and food insecurity, and condemning the legislative body for targeting transgender children.
The amendment was introduced by Representatives Adam Bird and Beth Lear, the original sponsors of the bathroom ban. The amended SB 104 ultimately passed the House in a 60-31 vote and now returns to the Ohio Senate for a concurrent vote when they reconvene after the summer recess.
About Stonewall Columbus: Founded in 1981, Stonewall Columbus serves Central Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community by providing a wide array of advocacy, educational, cultural, community programming and connection to resources that affirm the lives of LGBTQ+ people and their accomplices. As a community-focused organization, Stonewall Columbus is committed to fostering a climate of respect and diversity within the Central Ohio area. Stonewall Columbus, an independent 501(c)(3)nonprofit, is one of the oldest LGBTQ+ community centers in the country.
