Republican lawmakers in Ohio have introduced a far-reaching bill that would restrict support for transgender children in schools and local governments — and could overturn existing bans on so-called “conversion therapy.”
State Reps. Gary Click and Josh Williams unveiled House Bill 693 (H.B. 693), a 55-page proposal containing multiple provisions affecting trans youth and their families.
“State institutions, government institutions cannot promote that woke ideology,” Click told News 5 Cleveland. “We’re going to say in Ohio, it is not a danger to treat your child normally and to affirm your son is your son and your daughter is your daughter.”
Redefining ‘Conversion Therapy’
Among its most controversial elements, H.B. 693 would redefine “conversion therapy” to exclude counselling aimed at changing a transgender minor’s gender identity.
If enacted, the bill would effectively legalise conversion therapy for trans minors in parts of the state where it is currently banned.
“It is not conversion therapy to help children discover their identity and who they are biologically,” Click said.
Medical bodies widely oppose conversion practices. Jennifer Ciaccia, spokesperson for Cuyahoga County — the first county in Ohio to ban conversion therapy — described it as a “hateful, misleading and dangerous practice” that has been “discredited by over 28 major medical organizations.”
Cuyahoga County, she said, remains committed to enforcing its ban. The county is reviewing the proposed legislation to assess its impact.
The bill also includes a mechanism that could withhold state funding from local governments that violate its anti-trans provisions.
Custody, Foster Care and Parental Rights
H.B. 693 would also prevent state agencies from penalising parents who refuse to affirm a child’s gender identity. It seeks to ensure that unsupportive parents do not lose custody solely for that reason and bars agencies from considering gender affirmation when making foster care placement decisions.
Click argued that existing child abuse laws are sufficient.
“This bill says that for the solitary reason of the fact that you affirm that child’s natural sex, that is not abuse,” he said.
Impact on Schools and Teachers
The legislation further targets public schools. It would prohibit schools from disciplining teachers who refuse to use a student’s chosen name or pronouns consistent with their gender identity.
Melissa Cropper, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, condemned the proposal.
“It’s an absolute travesty that we have politicians who are attacking some of our most vulnerable students,” she said. “Who are using our teachers as ways to attack these students and are using this to advance their own political agenda and their own political careers, instead of thinking about what’s best for our students, what’s best for our public education system, what’s best for our communities, what’s best for us as humans.”
The bill’s introduction marks the latest development in a growing number of state-level efforts across the United States aimed at limiting protections for transgender youth. H.B. 693 is expected to face significant opposition if it moves forward in the Ohio legislature.
