The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) submitted comments to the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Ohio Department of Health in response to proposed rules that would significantly restrict access to gender-affirming care and harm the health and well-being of transgender youth and adults in Ohio. Following insufficient revisions to the proposed regulations, NWLC submitted testimony opposing the proposals, reiterating and building upon concerns expressed in our comments.
On January 5, 2024, Republican Governor DeWine issued an executive order banning gender-affirming surgeries for minors in Ohio and directed Ohio health agencies to develop proposed rules that create additional barriers to gender-affirming care. These proposed rules are part of an intentional and coordinated national effort to restrict the rights of transgender people, including attacks on their access to essential health care.
NWLC’s comments and testimony described how the proposed rules directly contradict well-established and evidence-based guidelines and expertise that require highly individualized transgender health care. We also highlighted our concern that the proposed rules would exacerbate existing barriers transgender people face to accessing necessary medical care.
Read our comments to the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services here and here, and Ohio Department of Health here.
Read our written testimony to the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services here, and Ohio Department of Health here.