Wishy-washy Republican governor signs ban on transgender students from girls’ bathrooms

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill Wednesday that bans biological males from using girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms and other facilities in schools.

The policy applies to all public and nonpublic K-12 schools as well as all colleges and universities in the state, according to the bill’s text. Schools are forbidden from establishing facilities that are open to both sexes at the same time.

“A school shall designate each student restroom, locker room, changing room, or shower room that is accessible by multiple students at the same time, whether located in a school building or located in a facility used by the school for a school-sponsored activity, for the exclusive use by students of the male biological sex only or by students of the female biological sex only,” the bill states. “No school shall permit a member of the male biological sex to use a student restroom, locker room, changing room, or shower room that has been designated by the school for the exclusive use of the female biological sex. No school shall construct, establish, or maintain a multi-occupancy facility that is designated as nongendered, multigendered, or open to all genders.”

Senate Bill 104 passed the state Senate and House in early November and was presented to the governor on Nov. 14. This was the last day for the governor to sign or veto the bill before it became law without his signature.

DeWine previously vetoed legislation that would have banned sex-change procedures for minors before signing an executive order a week later in January that banned sex-change operations but allowed puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. The Ohio Senate later overrode the governor’s veto but the bill has since been challenged by a state judge.

The governor has reportedly received over $40,000 in donations from children’s hospitals that support transgender medicine.

A similar law in Idaho banning sex-change operations, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors made its way to the Supreme Court after facing legal challenge but was later allowed to stand. Several states have passed legislation protecting minors from transgender medicine.

Numerous school districts have policies allowing schools to hide children’s gender identities from their parents, many of which have been challenged in the courts.

DeWine did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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