House Bill 68, which was passed Jan. 24, creates uncertainty for transgender youth.

The bill enacts both the SAFE Act (which stands for Saving Adolescents From Experimentation) and the Save Women’s Sports Act. It was primarily sponsored by Ohio Senator Gary Click. Becoming effective on April 24 of this year, the SAFE Act prohibits sex reassignment surgeries for minors, hormonal treatments such as puberty blockers, and the diagnosis and treatment of a minor for gender dysphoria without parental consent and screening for traumas, comorbidities, and abuse.

The bill requires that if a minor is diagnosed with gender dysphoria, their mental health care provider must report certain information to the Ohio Department of Health every year.

However, it also has a grandfather clause that states that anyone currently receiving treatment may continue.

It also establishes that practices seeking to “assist a minor experiencing a gender-related condition in reconciling their gender identity with their biological sex” (otherwise known as conversion therapy) cannot be banned.

“Trans suicide rates [are] very high and the only thing that saved me was being able to go to therapy specifically for transgender youth,” said junior Richie*, who is transgender. “For a lot of transgender minors, they need to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria for a year before they can even think about starting medical transition so [the bill] just delays the process even further.”

In addition, the actions of a parent regarding their child’s gender identity cannot be considered when allocating parental rights and responsibilities during a separation. 

“If you want a diagnosis of gender dysphoria to do anything for you [now], suddenly you can’t without [being] outed,” Richie said. “As soon as I came out to [my dad], he was fully supportive…now, I cannot get [any gender-affirming treatments done].”

Gray Peirron, a former GHS student who received hormone replacement therapy at 18 and chest reconstruction surgery at 19, has different experiences with transitioning than the bill implies.

The bill posits that many youth seeking to transition are rushed through the process by physicians without an adequate understanding of their decisions.

“I was pretty educated about the effects and testosterone and how to go through with the therapy and the pros and cons of everything,” Peirron said.

Many advocates of the bill claim that many people grow to regret their transition – which Peirron refutes, saying his life greatly improved after transitioning.

“When I look back, I didn’t have much of a personality [before transitioning] and didn’t do that much. I just didn’t care…the main reason I didn’t have an extensive wardrobe was because I wanted to cover myself up. I knew I wouldn’t like what I looked like anyway. Once I started transitioning, I liked how I looked.” 

Governor DeWine initially vetoed the bill, stating his official reasons were “protecting human life” and that the law would wrongfully imply the government “knows what is best medically for a child” better than a parent.

*Name changed to protect privacy.