Universal Bathrooms on Campus | Photo by Abigail Abbott | The Wright State Guardian
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently signed a bill into law that would require transgender individuals to not use their preferred bathroom. While the bill affects schools public and private from kindergarten to college.
House Bill 183 and Senate Bill 104
Governor DeWine signed Senate Bill 104 into law in the State of Ohio. This bill would require transgender individuals to use bathrooms and locker rooms of the sex they were assigned at birth.
This is required in not only K-12 schools, but also in colleges, public or otherwise.
The original bathroom ban, House Bill 183, was tacked onto the original Senate Bill 104. S.B.104 was and still largely is an overhaul of the College Credit Plus, and at the end it includes the new addition.
The bill will not stop schools from having single occupancy facilities for these individuals, but gender neutral restrooms will be unavailable.
In a statement, a sponsor of the bill claims that the controversial bill was written with safety in mind.
“It revolves around safety, security, and, I think, common sense. It protects our children and grandchildren in private spaces where they are most vulnerable,” Republican Ohio state Senator Jerry Cirino said.
There are a lot of people who think differently.
Controversy surrounding the bill
The reception for this bill has been very negative. There are many people who are angry for a variety of reasons. Many were shocked the bill included private institutions, which traditionally see less regulation.
“It's just not fair. As childish as it sounds. I feel like yet again, everyone is making my existence political,” Elliot Wiesmeir said, a transgender college student. “I think what makes it worse is that it's a bill to make kids safer. I love kids, but I’m sorry, if a kid is not grown up enough to go to a school with a gender-neutral school while they go to high school, they simply aren’t grown up enough to go to college.”
Wiesmeir attends a private college and is especially angry about the private colleges having to also comply.
“I don’t go to a state school, I pay somewhere around $45,000 per year for my school. It’s private, I don't really understand why the state has any say on what goes on in school,” Wiesmeier said.
On the other hand, there are individuals who are for the bill.
“I just think we need to do what we can to protect kids,” Springfield resident Marjory Kern said. “They will live, it won't hurt them to go into the right bathroom, if they have a problem with it they can use a family room.”
DeWine signed the bill despite 10,000 signatures on a petition for him to veto the bill. Following the signing, there are rumors the ACLU– or the American Civil Liberty Union– and a pro-trans nonprofit group, TransOhio, are planning to file a lawsuit over the bill, though this is not official.
Regardless, the bill goes into effect in 90 days and schools are expected to make changes as a result of the signing.
