Of note: One Ohio Republican legislator even disgustingly suggested supporters of trans children be murdered
WASHINGTON — The GOP-controlled Ohio House just voted to override Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of legislation that bans transgender athletes from participating in sports and bans gender-affirming care for minors. Disgustingly, one representative in the Ohio House, Beth Lear, even suggested supporters of trans children be murdered, using the Bible as justification for her hateful stance.
Ohio Republicans represent the most extreme of the extreme and are abusing the power of their supermajority to attack the most vulnerable. It’s not enough to call a special session to legislate away trans rights and overturn their own Republican governor’s veto – we’ve also seen them consider ways to override the voters of Ohio who successfully passed abortion protections into the state constitution.
Instead of legislating to deliver on the very real challenges facing Ohio families, Ohio Republicans are obsessed with their dangerous pet project to vilify and attack trans folks.
Make no mistake: Trans rights are human rights, and the Ohio Republicans’ attacks on these rights and others show clearly that fundamental freedoms are on the line in state legislatures across the country.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Communications Director Abhi Rahman issued the following statement:
“To say trans rights are under severe assault in Ohio is a gross understatement. There is so much at stake as fundamental freedoms and rights are being decided in state legislatures across the country. One Ohio representative suggested supporters of trans kids be murdered. This is gross and emblematic of what Ohio Republicans have become. Ohioans deserve better.
“Ohio Republicans have made their dangerous priorities crystal clear as they wield their supermajority to legislate away fundamental freedoms. The only path to protect trans rights is to build Democratic power in the states. Trans rights are human rights and we must fight and win power in the states to protect the rights and freedoms of every individual in this country.”
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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