In a recent hearing before the Ohio Senate Government Oversight Committee, proponents of House Bill 68, also known as the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, recommended troubling alternatives to providing gender-affirming care to transgender minors. The bill, introduced by Ohio state Rep. Gary Click, seeks to ban trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports and prohibit minors from receiving gender-affirming care, with potentially dire consequences.
During this hearing, which notably featured only supporters of the proposed legislation, a parade of detransitioners, representatives from anti-LGBTQ+ organizations, and fringe medical practitioners voiced their support for the bill. Some of these detransition activists have reportedly been paid for their appearances by an anti-trans advocacy group, shedding light on the vested interests behind the bill.
One detransitioner, Richard Anumene, attributed his decision to detransition to familial pressure and economic difficulties, highlighting the influence of family rejection and societal stigma in such choices. Jeanette Cooper, founder of an anti-trans organization, suggested that parents should reject their transgender children as a means to deter them from identifying as trans, likening gender dysphoria to an addiction.
Matt Sharp, representing the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), advocated for “therapy” as the primary approach to treat children with gender dysphoria, despite ADF’s alignment with discredited practices such as “conversion therapy.” These unsettling recommendations raise concerns about the well-being and rights of transgender youth in Ohio.
The hearing also addressed the bill’s ban on transgender women and girls participating in women’s sports, with anti-trans activists and sports officials providing testimony. The ongoing debate over the SAFE Act underscores the importance of safeguarding the rights and access to appropriate healthcare for transgender minors in Ohio.