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    Public Testifies on Ohio Transgender Sports Ban Legislation

    BY H.L. COMERIATO (THEY/THEM)

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    On Wednesday, Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) gave sponsor testimony on House Bill 6, which would ban transgender girls and women across the state from competing in team sports from kindergarten through college.

    The bill was introduced last month as part of Ohio House Republicans’ list of priorities for the 135th General Assembly.

    In past legislative sessions, Powell has attempted to pass the bill — dubbed the “Save Women’s Sports Act” — without vetting it through an assigned committee.

    This time, the bill will go before the Ohio House Higher Education Committee, where multiple lawmakers pushed back against Powell’s use of transphobic language and scientific and medical inaccuracies during her testimony.

    Rep. Joe Miller (D-Lorain) and Rep. Adam C. Bird (R-New Richmond) asked Powell on Monday if she believed that transgender people exist, and if she recognized that transgender women are women.

    Powell responded, but did not provide a direct answer.

    “We want every women [sic] to succeed in sports,” she said.

    Members also questioned language around how a student-athlete’s gender may be “determined,” and how the bill would affect intersex student-athletes — who may be born with any number of different sex chromosomes or sex characteristics, accounting for about 2% of the general population.

    Powell referred to intersex conditions as “birth defects” and “genetic disorders,” and assured committee members that HB 6 intersex student-athletes “will not be hindered in any way by this bill.”

    Several committee members also questioned the necessity of HB 6.

    The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) each have specific sets of medical criteria trans athletes must meet in order to compete at the high school or collegiate level.

    OHSAA publicly opposes HB 6, and maintains its current standards have been effective in ensuring fair competition between transgender and cisgender athletes across the state.

    Since 2015, OHSAA has received 23 requests for approval from transgender athletes looking to compete in team sports at the high school level. Only two requests have ever been denied.

    This article was republished from The Buckeye Flame, a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ Ohioans to support community and civic empowerment through the creation of engaging content that chronicles their triumphs, struggles, and lived experiences. For more LGBTQ+ news, visit thebuckeyeflame.com.

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    The Buckeye Flame
    The Buckeye Flamehttps://thebuckeyeflame.com/
    The Buckeye Flame is a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ Ohioans to support community and civic empowerment through the creation of engaging content that chronicles their triumphs, struggles, and lived experiences.
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