Ohio governor signs law prohibiting transgender students from using opposite-sex bathrooms

Republican Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio has signed into law a bill that prohibits students who identify as transgender from using bathrooms and locker rooms that do not align with their biological sex. This regulation will take effect in 90 days and applies to both public and private K-12 schools, and higher education institutions. Despite opposition from Democrats, the majority Republican state Senate previously ratified the bill.

The legislation additionally bans the establishment of multi-occupancy “all-gender” facilities within schools. However, non-gendered single-occupancy bathrooms will not be considered in violation of this law. Ohio now joins over a dozen other states implementing similar mandates, ensuring K-12 students use facilities that correspond to their biological sex.

The bill’s original Republican sponsors, state Representative Adam Bird and Beth Lear, expressed gratitude to Governor DeWine for signing the bill into law. Similar sentiment was echoed by Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

Several Democrats and liberal activists voiced their opposition to the law. This development marks another conservative triumph in Ohio concerning transgender issues. However, last year, DeWine’s veto against minors undergoing gender procedures and boys competing against girls in sports was overridden by the state legislature.