HB 454 is getting a hearing in the Ohio House Committee on Families, Aging, and Human Services and must be stopped before heading to the full House. The hearing is tomorrow, May 19, so please take a moment to contact them today.
Anti-LGBTQ legislative efforts are rooted in religious dogma. HB 454, like similarly minded bills before it, is an attempt to perpetuate unscientific views about “biological sex,” and removes the right of parents and doctors to do what they think is best for children. The bill explicitly includes puberty blockers, which delay the onset of permanent changes, potentially causing deep harm to transgender youth, and that is only prescribed if a doctor thinks this benefit outweighs any potential risks. And the bill could even apply to social transitioning with medical supervision, e.g., having a trans boy change their appearance to appear more boy-like without any medication or surgery involved.
This is an extreme and cruel bill that would contribute to an already high suicide rate among trans youth, simply to assert lawmakers’ religiously based views of gender. Please contact the Ohio House Committee on Families, Aging, and Human Services and tell the members to stop this bill from getting passed. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always the most impactful.
