(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a response to the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) appeal of Ohio’s trial court victory defending the legality of the state’s ban on medical interventions seeking to transition the sex or gender of a minor.
House Bill 68 bans surgery and medication to change a child's sex or gender, preserves female sports teams, and protects parents from losing custody of their children if they do not support transitioning their children.
The Aug. 6 ruling by Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Michael J. Holbrook arose from a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, which contested the constitutionality of House Bill 68. After hearing five days of testimony and receiving written arguments from both sides, the court granted final judgment in favor of the State and allowed the law to take effect.
“The court heard the evidence and correctly determined that Ohio’s law protecting children withstands the legal challenges raised by the Plaintiffs,” said Yost.
In Yost’s response to the appeal, he reiterated that the law was enacted by Ohio’s elected representatives to protect vulnerable children, athletes and parents. The law establishes regulatory safeguards to prevent children from undergoing experimental medical treatments with risks of irreversible harm, ensures fairness and safety in girls’ and women’s sports, and protects parental rights.
“The legislature has the authority to prevent experimental treatments that it deems dangerous for our children,” Yost concluded, “And I will continue to defend the law.”
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