Our country continues to fail to uphold our promise of liberty and justice for all. Ohio House Bill 68 (HB 68) is our state government’s latest attempt to restrict healthcare access for Ohioans. Recently passed by the General Assembly over Governor Mike DeWine's veto, HB 68 will greatly limit healthcare for trans youth. Additionally, the bill’s provisions dehumanizing gender-diverse individuals in sports will likely further marginalize and effectively enshrine government-sponsored disparate treatment of LGBTQ+ adolescents in schools.
Despite Governor Mike DeWine's veto, he issued an executive order banning gender-affirming surgeries for youth, which would carry the force of law if its proposed content in an Ohio Department of Health (ODH) rule is promulgated.
Additionally, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (MHA) and ODH recently proposed rules that are even more restrictive and Orwellian than HB 68 itself and would make it nearly impossible for even LGBTQ+ adults to receive evidence-based healthcare. Despite the state’s stated intent to protect families from the effects of gender-affirming healthcare, the proposed agency rules also apply to adults. The rules would require healthcare providers to report data to the state regarding treatment of “gender-related conditions,” to be shared with the legislature and public. Further, proposed quality standards for healthcare organizations and providers would require prerequisites to treatment initiation for “gender-related conditions.” These restrictive rules would further burden healthcare providers and would undermine individuals’ autonomy and self-determination, government overreach conflicting with our state government’s libertarian values.
Importantly, major medical associations support the evidence-based healthcare that the State of Ohio aims to restrict. Hospital systems and outpatient facilities in Cleveland regularly provide gender-affirming healthcare to LGBTQ+ people, and I am personally grateful to receive gender-affirming mental healthcare and culturally competent primary care in Cleveland. As proposed, the rules could preclude me and many others from receiving the care we need.
As a social worker who regularly diagnoses and treats gender diverse individuals, these proposed rules could hinder me from doing my job: validating and empowering individuals who are frequently dehumanized by our society. Even more important than provider burdens, imposing stricter requirements on trans adults seeking healthcare to navigate an already onerous, financially taxing process is morally irresponsible. For example, the proposed rules require a provider to assemble a healthcare team, including a psychiatrist and endocrinologist, and have a care plan reviewed by a medical ethicist before treatment initiation. Not only do these requirements pose a risk of psychological harm to patients, compelling them to repeatedly advocate for their humanity, but it raises the question of who bears the added costs. Undoubtedly, as it often does, the burden would fall onto the patient.
Women, LGBTQ+ people, and people of color already experience disparate health outcomes, partly due to toxic stress associated with discrimination and marginalization, systemic challenges like underinvestment in communities, and a lack of access to culturally competent healthcare. Almost half of LGBTQ+ youth in Ohio have seriously considered attempting suicide. Please read that sentence again. These stringent restrictions could exacerbate this harsh reality.
Ohioans must demand better representation in the statehouse. Undeniably, Ohio’s supermajority alt-right legislature is not representative of our home. Despite voter suppression efforts in Ohio—such as legislating strict voter identification laws and purging voter registrations—and unconstitutional gerrymandering of our districts, we the people recently exercised our right to a referendum. This action demonstrates our value of healthcare as a fundamental right. We backed a constitutional amendment securing reproductive healthcare for Ohioans, evidencing our influence and opposition to government overreach in healthcare restrictions. We must keep the momentum going to ensure that LGBTQ+ individuals maintain access to culturally competent, evidence-based healthcare.
As Ohioans committed to liberty and justice, we must persist in advocating for a state government that truly reflects our diverse voices. Contact Governor DeWine and your state representatives. Together, we can shape a future where every citizen's needs and values are authentically represented in our statehouse.
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