How Cincinnati Pride Wants You to Help the Trans Community Right Now

The public is invited to comment on proposed administrative rules via the Ohio Department of Health through Feb. 5.

Jan 22, 2024 at 5:33 pm

Participants hold signs at Northside's National March for Queer and Trans Youth Autonomy on March 31. Photo: Aidan Mahoney

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Transgender Ohioans, healthcare providers and allies are fighting to keep gender-affirming care legal as state Republicans continue to steamroll healthcare rules.

After Gov. Mike DeWine appeared to support medical autonomy by vetoing House Bill 68, which bans all gender-affirming care for minors, he proposed two new rules that would make accessing the care harder, even for adults.

One rule would require the state to collect data on transgender patients who have undergone gender-affirming care, including “gender-reassignment surgery" and "genital gender reassignment surgery." The de-identified data would be presented to lawmakers starting Jan. 31, according to the proposed administrative rules.

The second rule would require trans adults to undergo at least six months of therapy while obtaining a detailed care plan from an endocrinologist and a bioethicist before starting treatment, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Folks are just really scared," said Elliot Draznin, director of diversity, equity and inclusion for Cincinnati Pride. "The bill in the Statehouse will be terrible for youth, the proposed rules for the statewide stuff that the governor did has further reaching consequences for adults."

Life-threatening implications

Draznin told CityBeat that HB 68 and DeWine's proposed administrative rules could cost people their lives.

"It's not something that's cosmetic, it's not something that somebody wants, because they want it," they said. "It is genuinely because the alternative for so many folks is suicide."

According to the Trevor Project's 2023 report, 11% of transgender and non-binary adults reported being on gender-affirming hormones, and 2% reported taking puberty blockers. Using data from the U.S. Transgender Population Health Survey, researchers from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law also found that 81% of transgender adults in the U.S. have thought about suicide, 42% of transgender adults have attempted it and 56% have engaged in non-suicidal self-injury over their lifetimes.

“Evidence-based interventions are needed to mitigate the risk of serious mental health outcomes among transgender people,” said the study's lead author Jeremy Kidd, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University. “This might include increasing access to gender-affirming care, or improving transgender community connectedness, which are related to lower rates of suicidality.”

What's next?

The public is invited to comment on the administrative rules via the Ohio Department of Health through Feb. 5. Draznin said they've asked healthcare providers to speak up on behalf of their patients.

"This is really vague and really confusing. It could be interpreted in a lot of different ways," they said. "Every provider that that I've spoken to has had a completely different view of how this could impact their practice."

Comments on the Health Department rules draft can be submitted via email to [email protected] no later than Monday, Feb. 5. The National Center for Transgender Equality is asking that only those who live or receive healthcare in Ohio submit a comment, which the organization has drafted for commenters in advance:

Comments on Gender Transition Care Rules.

To The Ohio Department of Health I oppose the proposed regulations outlined in this draft concerning gender transition care and urge you to rescind them. If they cannot be rescinded, they should be modified. While I recognize the importance of ensuring the well-being and safety of individuals undergoing gender transition, I believe that these regulations are overly restrictive and may hinder access to necessary and appropriate healthcare for transgender individuals.

In conclusion, the proposed regulations appear to be excessively restrictive and may impede the rights and well-being of transgender individuals seeking essential healthcare services. I recommend a more comprehensive and inclusive approach that considers the evolving understanding of gender identity and respects the autonomy and rights of individuals undergoing gender transition.

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About The Author

Madeline Fening

Madeline Fening is CityBeat’s investigative news reporter. Proudly born and raised in Middletown, she attended Bowling Green State University before moving to Austin, Texas where she dabbled in documentary filmmaking, digital news and bartending. Madeline then moved to Cincinnati to work for WCPO 9 News as an...