Ohio GOP Governor Signs Bill Ensuring Students Use Bathrooms Aligning With Biological Sex

Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill on Tuesday prohibiting trans-identifying students from using bathrooms and locker rooms that don’t match their biological sex.

When the law takes effect in 90 days, public and private K-12 schools, along with colleges and universities, must ensure that bathrooms, locker rooms, and overnight accommodations are divided by biological sex, The Hill reported. The bill was approved by Ohio’s Republican-controlled state Senate earlier this month. Democrats were united in their opposition to the legislation.

The new Ohio law also bans schools from building multi-occupancy “all-gender” facilities. According to the Ohio Capital Journal, the law does not prohibit schools from having non-gendered single-occupancy bathrooms.

Ohio joins more than a dozen other states that have taken action to ensure that K-12 students use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their biological sex.

The Republicans who sponsored the original state House bill thanked DeWine for signing it into law.

“Thank you @GovMikeDeWine for signing the bill yesterday that contains HB 183,” state Rep. Adam Bird posted on X. “[Beth Lear] and I have been working on this bill for over a year and we are thankful that individuals will not have to worry about the opposite sex coming into the restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms.”

In response, Lear added, “Yes, thank you @GovMikeDeWine for signing SB 104 to protect ALL students. ”

DeWine was also praised by Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who thanked the governor “for siding with biology, history safety and common sense.”

Democrats and leftist activists decried DeWine’s signing of the legislation. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio wrote, “Transgender people are part of the fabric of Ohio; our families, our workplaces, and our neighborhoods. ????️‍⚧️ We remain steadfast in our commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and are closely considering next steps.”

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The new law is yet another victory for conservatives in the state on the transgender issue. Last year, DeWine vetoed bans on minors undergoing gender procedures and boys competing against girls in the state, but the state legislature overrode his veto in January 2024.