Ohio's GOP-Controlled Senate Overrides Republican Governor's Veto, Bans Gender-Affirming Care

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio has banned gender-affirming care for minors and restricted transgender women’s and girls’ participation on sports teams, a move that has families of transgender children scrambling over how best to care for them.

The Republican-dominated Senate voted Wednesday to override GOP Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto. The new law bans gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies, and restricts mental health care for transgender individuals under 18. The measure also bans transgender girls and women from girls and women’s sports teams at both the K-12 and collegiate level.

Officials expect the law to take effect in roughly 90 days. The Republican-majority House had voted to override the veto earlier this month.

Two of Kat Scaglione’s three children are transgender, and the the Chagrin Falls artist is devastated by the new law.

Her 14-year-old daughter Amity is already receiving mental health services and some medication, and would be able to continue her treatment under the law’s grandfather clause, but she wouldn’t be able to seek anything further, such as hormone therapies, and would have to go out of state to progress in her gender-affirming care.

Scaglione and her partner, Matt, are even considering moving their family out of state entirely, despite recently buying a house in a school district and community that’s safer for Amity and her 10-year-old sister, Lexi, who is also transgender. They don’t feel welcome in Ohio, and don’t see that changing anytime soon.

“Even as we’ve settled in and have good things right now, we’re constantly looking over our shoulder waiting for something to change to the point where we have to get out now,” Scaglione said. “It’s been hard to move somewhere and try to make it