Ohio will not restrict medical treatment for transgender adults, but a plan from Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration would still dictate the care children receive.
State health officials unveiled changes on Wednesday to rules that DeWine put forward after vetoing House Bill 68 . The proposals would ban Ohio hospitals and surgical facilities from performing gender transition surgery on minors and regulate the treatment of kids with gender dysphoria.
Another measure would require providers to report data on gender dysphoria diagnoses and treatment. The information would exclude patient names, addresses and other identifying details.
The revisions came after thousands of Ohioans blasted the rules in written comments, which the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau obtained through a public records request. Transgender Ohioans detailed how transitioning improved their lives, while medical professionals questioned the wisdom of DeWine’s proposal.
“I am much, much happier now that I have access to gender-affirming care in the form of hormone replacement therapy,” one person wrote. “Restricting gender-affirming healthcare for transgender people will result in immense, avoidable harm by forcing people like me to once again experience the pain of gender dysphoria − a pain that has driven many of us to attempt or complete suicide.”