Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of attention paid to transgender healthcare issues down in Columbus at the Ohio Statehouse.
On Dec. 29, Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed House Bill 68, in a move that stood in sharp contrast to his Republican colleagues in the legislature. That bill would ban transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy. It would also prevent transgender athletes from playing women’s sports.
On Jan. 5, the governor signed an executive order that bans hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities from performing gender transition surgeries on minors. Though currently, no Ohio children’s hospital performs gender-affirming surgery on patients under 18.
The governor also directed state health agencies to propose rules that require a team of medical providers to be involved in prescribing gender-affirming care to people. The guidance would come from a multi-disciplinary team including endocrinologists and psychiatrists for adults and minors.
On Wednesday, the Ohio House came back from their winter break early to override DeWine’s veto of HB 68 in a 65-28 vote. The bill will head to the Senate later this month where it is expected to pass.
On Thursday's “Sound of Ideas," we’ll begin by discussing these movements in Columbus over LGBTQ+ health care.
Later in this hour, Cleveland Scene's Dining Editor Doug Trattner will discuss some of the restaurants that closed in Northeast Ohio in 2023, and what is opening up this year. Finally, we'll hear another episode of our music podcast “Shuffle,” which returns with its first episode of 2024.
GUESTS:
- Erin Reed, Independent journalist covering LGBTQ+ issues
- Sarah Donaldson, Reporter/Producer, The Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau
- Maria Bruno, Public Policy Director, Equality Ohio
- Doug Trattner, Dining Editor, Cleveland Scene Magazine
- Doug Katz, Chef and Restaurateur
- Amanda Rabinowitz, Host and Producer, "Shuffle" and "All Things Considered"
