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Ohio bill would ban gender transitioning medical treatments for children

By Jo Ingles

Published October 20, 2021 at 9:59 PM EDT

A rainbow over a child's hand [PoCelso / Shutterstock] — A rainbow over a child's hand

Children under 18 would not be allowed to get some medical treatments for gender transitioning if a new Ohio bill passes. Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery) is a co-sponsor of the legislation. Right now, he says hormone blockers, surgeries and other medical treatments to prevent puberty are being done on children who are going through gender dysphoria.

“Many of these kids grow up and feel as they have made a mistake as they get older when really puberty is the natural cure for this," Click says.

Democratic state Sen. Nickie Antonio says decisions about this type of treatment should be left to the child, their parents and medical professionals.

“This is the legislature, once again, trying to usurp the counsel of physicians with their patients and stepping into something that is personal, private and it’s none of the General Assembly’s business,” Antonio says.

The bill would ban medical professionals from providing hormones, puberty blockers, and surgery for children to transition, even if parents approve of those treatments. Doctors and hospitals that provide these treatments say it is necessary for some children but Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue, thinks otherwise.

"Hospitals are the worst offenders in this situation. Their greed is driving them to do things that are terrible for children's well-being, terrible for their health and that they don't know the long-term effects of and they are lying to parents," Baer says.

But Maria Bruno with Equality Ohio says this bill goes against the advice of leading medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatricians and the American Psychiatric Association.

“This is cruel and will lead to harm to transgender children," Bruno says.

This is the third time a bill limiting transition treatments for children has been introduced in Ohio. A similar bill passed in Arkansas earlier this year and has been put on hold by a federal court.