COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — A Franklin County judge ruled on Tuesday that a contested Ohio law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth can now go into effect after being on hold for several months.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Michael Holbrook said in the Tuesday decision that House Bill 68 does not violate several Ohio provisions and lifted the temporary restraining order that had been blocking the measure . The legislation will prohibit Ohio’s children’s hospitals from providing treatment like hormone therapy to trans minors, and was originally set to take effect on April 24.
“Children are just not old enough, they’re not mature enough to be able to make these lifelong decisions,” said Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), the legislation’s primary sponsor. “So, we wanted to put on the brakes and say, ‘wait a minute, this is an adult decision.’ Let the kids be kids and save the adult thing for adults.”
However, gender-affirming care is backed by every major medical association in the nation, like the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association. Christopher Bolling, a retired pediatrician and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told NBC4 trans youth feel targeted and will “adversely” feel H.B. 68’s impact.