Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation prohibiting students from using opposite-sex locker rooms and restrooms, a measure aimed at barring male-born students who identify as female from using girls’ facilities.
Without fanfare, the office of the Republican governor announced Wednesday that he had signed Senate Bill 104, dubbed the Protect All Students Act, which applies to K-12 schools as well as colleges and other higher-education institutions.
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted called it “unbelievable that we’ve reached a point where a law is necessary to ensure the safety of young women in school restrooms, but unfortunately, that’s the reality right now in our society.”
“As a father of two teenage daughters, I appreciate the legislature for taking action on this issue,” he wrote on X. “This common-sense bill ensures student privacy and safety, protecting kids and providing peace of mind for families across the state.”
The signing makes Ohio the 14th state to approve a ban on opposite-sex use of multi-space restrooms, locker rooms, showers and other sex-segregated facilities in public education, according to the Movement Advancement Project map.
Those cheering the bill-signing included the Center for Christian Virtue, which had pushed for the legislation.
“Common sense is on a winning streak in America today,” said Aaron Baer, center president. “No student should be forced to go into the bathroom or locker room with a student of the opposite sex, and Ohio’s kids are better protected now because of Governor DeWine’s decision to sign this bill.”
BREAKING: Ohio Governor DeWine has signed the bathroom bill (SB104) into law, requiring individuals to use bathrooms & locker rooms that match their God-given sex.
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) November 27, 2024
Common sense is making a comeback nationwide. pic.twitter.com/X9Bn6HiTmk
Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, which opposed the bill, blasted the governor for signing “the anti-trans bathroom bill into law.”
“Transgender people are part of the fabric of Ohio; our families, our workplaces, and our neighborhoods,” the ACLU chapter wrote on X. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and are closely considering next steps.”
The bill includes exceptions for children under the age of 10 accompanied by parents or guardians; those with disabilities who require assistance; employees whose job requires them to enter the facilities; and those responding to an emergency.
Mr. DeWine released no signing statement, but his decision to approve the bill marks something of a departure from his past efforts to find middle ground on hot-button gender-identity issues.
In December 2023, he vetoed a bill barring gender-transition drugs and surgeries for minors, instead seeking to prohibit underage surgeries through administrative rules.
The bill also banned male-born athletes in female sports.
The law went into effect in April though after the Republican-controlled House and Senate overrode his veto.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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