Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs anti-transgender ‘bathroom bill’ into law

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed the state’s anti-transgender “bathroom bill” into law barring all transgender students, staff and visitors at public and private schools – kindergarten through college – from using multi-person restrooms that correspond with their gender.

Despite intense opposition from civil rights groups, members of the Ohio Senate voted to pass Senate Bill (SB) 104, sending it to the governor’s desk for approval.

SB 104 co-sponsors Rep. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond), Rep. Beth Lear (R-Galena) and Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Asheville) confirmed the governor signed the bill via their official social media accounts.

However, the governor has not yet released an official statement and did not offer immediate comment regarding his decision.

The bill will take effect in 90 days.

Governor signs ‘bathroom bill’ despite calls to veto

Lawmakers passed SB 104 despite fierce opposition from LGBTQ+ organizations and Democratic elected officials across the state.

Ohio Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) sent a letter to DeWine urging him to veto the bill, which she said “imposes restrictive and discriminatory provisions” on transgender Ohioans.

“This legislation was transformed from a non-controversial, bipartisan piece of legislation into an attack on a small, marginalized community,” she said. “This hastily passed legislation would have clear unintended consequences for all Ohioans and severely impact the rights of marginalized youth and adults in the state.”

During a November 13 press conference at the Ohio Statehouse, TransOhio executive director Dara Adkison joined a handful of other LGBTQ+ advocates, urging lawmakers to reject the bill.

“We know from looking at other rises in fascist and authoritarian governments that having a low-hanging fruit minority to scapegoat is an inroads to eroding rights and the ability to access services for others,” Adkison told reporters. “We’ve seen that happen to trans people under other authoritarian governments, so I think it’s very fair to say that we could see legislatures feeling emboldened – both in Ohio and in other places in the country – to continue to attack transgender people.”

Civil rights organizations Equality Ohio and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio also publicly opposed the bill.

Equality Ohio Executive Director Dwayne Steward said that the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization made it clear to Gov. Dewine and Ohio legislators that “SB 104 does nothing to make trans students safer in schools, and in fact makes life more dangerous for trans kids in Ohio.”

“We are deeply disappointed that Governor DeWine has allowed this dangerous bill to become law that puts vulnerable trans youth at risk for abuse and harassment,” Steward said in a statement.

In an Instagram post, TransOhio said that they had delivered 600 community comments to DeWine, urging him to veto SB 104.

Gabrielle Doyle, senior manager of state advocacy with national LGBTQ+ non-profit the Trevor Project, also spoke in opposition to the bill, citing a direct link between the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and a national uptick in suicide rates among LGBTQ+ youth.

Enforcing bathroom bans

Ohio joins 11 other states that have already passed “bathroom bills” targeting transgender Americans – including in Oklahoma, where transgender teen Nex Benedict died the day after his classmates physically attacked him in a school restroom.

Based on penalties in other states, Ohioans could face hefty fines and jail time if found in violation of the law.

Across the state, most colleges and universities have remained tight-lipped around potential enforcement policies.

However, a spokesperson for Ohio State University told Signal Statewide reporters via email that the university is reviewing the legislation, and remains “committed to a welcoming environment for all members of our community.”

An additional clause in the bill bars educational institutions from establishing or maintaining multi-person, all-gender restrooms. As a result, schools like Cleveland State University will now have to decommission spaces they spent tens of thousands of dollars to build, redesignating them from inclusive to single-sex.