On Friday, the Republican Governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine, vetoed a ban on gender-affirming care in the state. The move infuriated former President Donald Trump, prompting a flurry of posts on Truth Social and a promise to cast DeWine out of the fold.
Trump’s Comments
“DeWine has fallen to the Radical Left,” Trump declared on Truth Social, the social media platform he created. “No wonder he gets loudly booed in Ohio every time I introduce him at Rallies, but I won’t be introducing him any more.”
Harsh Words
“I’m finished with this ‘stiff,’” Trump continued. “What was he thinking.” As with many of his posts, the former president made interesting choices concerning punctuation and capitalization.
The Bill in Question
“The bill,” Trump concluded, “would have stopped child mutilation, and prevented men from playing in women’s sports.”
DeWine’s View
“The bill would impact a very small number of Ohio’s children,” DeWine explained. “But for those children who face gender dysphoria, the consequences of this bill could not be more profound.”
Harsh
The bill, passed by a Republican-dominated state legislature, would not only have banned gender-affirming care for people living in Ohio. It would have prevented people from other states that have prohibited such care from being able to receive it in Ohio, too.
DeWine Explains
“Ultimately,” DeWine said, “I believe this is about protecting human life. Many parents have told me that their child would not have survived, would be dead today, if they had not received the treatment they received from one of Ohio’s children hospitals.”
Rare Protection
DeWine’s action is especially unique considering the rapid spread of anti-trans sentiment among Republicans. In 2023 alone, legislators in every state but one have introduced almost 600 anti-trans bills.
Anti-Trans Wave
Of those 589 bills, 85 passed and 269 are active. The rest failed, defeated in the legislature, vetoed by Governors, or otherwise ruled cruel and unacceptable.
Put in Context
This wave of anti-trans activity is genuinely shocking when put in historical context. In 2022, only 174 bills were proposed, and just 26 of them passed.
Not Just Children
The need to “protect” children is often given as a justification for these anti-trans bills. However, this year, multiple states introduced bans on gender-affirming care that extend well into adulthood.
Wider Trend
These anti-trans bills are part of a wider reactionary backlash against LGBTQ+ people and their rights. Drag has become another flashpoint for this anti-LGBTQ sentiment, with dozens of “drag ban” bills being introduced, some of them strict enough to theoretically affect people performing Shakespeare.
Anti-Science
Bills seeking to ban gender-affirming care have been called “anti-science” by experts and national outlets, including Scientific American. Transgender children who are denied the care they need have been found to be at far greater risk of suicidal thoughts and other negative outcomes.
Trump vs. DeWine
The Ohio state legislature may well overrule DeWine’s veto, as Trump wrote. Regardless, the governor’s actions have made him an enemy of the former president, who has promised to stop welcoming DeWine at rallies.
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