Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) vetoed legislation that prohibited transgender surgeries for minors and prevented biological males from competing in girls’ sports.
Ohio House Bill 68 prohibited double mastectomies and genital procedures and separated same-sex teams.
State Republicans may override DeWine’s veto.
“These are truly complex issues, and reasonable people draw vastly different conclusions,” DeWine said during a news conference, according to The Hill. “This bill would impact a very small number of Ohio’s children, but for those children who face gender dysphoria, and for their families, the consequences of this could not be more profound.”
He explained that he believes “this is about protecting human life.”
DeWine added that “these are gut-wrenching decisions that should be made by parents, and should be informed by teams of doctors that are advising them.”
A study from the Journal of the American Medical Association estimated that 48,019 Americans underwent transgender surgeries between 2016 and 2020.
The study found that 3,678 of those having surgery were between the ages of 12 and 18.
About 3,215 of the minors had “breast/chest surgery” and 405 minors had “genital surgery.”
Another 350 minors had “other cosmetic procedures.”
The age of the youngest individual who had “genital surgery” is unknown.
