The Ohio Senate Democrats Thursday marked their party’s holiday – the “Transgender Day of Visibility” – by peddling what is called the “Ohio Fairness Act.”
“Today is #TransDayOfVisibility and Ohio Senate Democrats are committed to creating policies that protect the safety and wellbeing of all Ohioans,” the group said. “Passing the #OhioFairnessAct, introduced by [State Sen. Nickie Antonio (D-District 23)], will ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, creating a more safe and inclusive Ohio.”
Passing the #OhioFairnessAct, introduced by @nickieantonio, will ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, creating a more safe and inclusive Ohio. pic.twitter.com/ZbDUkrOUf9
— Ohio Senate Dems (@OhioSenateDems) March 31, 2022
SB 119 establishes a commission to stop “any person from engaging in unlawful discriminatory practices,” though it does not define specifically what those “discriminatory practices” are.
Notably, it would also ban classifying transgenderism as a mental disorder. It also bans classifying pedophilia as a mental disorder.
Transgenderism has recently been at the forefront of American political discourse.
Perhaps most notably, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) asked Supreme Court Justice Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson to define the word “woman.”
The judge said she could not, noting that she was “not a biologist.”
The Ohio Star asked Antonio’s office whether it could define the words “woman” and “man” in the context of SB 119.
Antonio’s office did not return a comment request.
Blackburn’s line of questioning came in the context of biologically male transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who the week prior to Jackson’s confirmation hearings had won the women’s 500-yard National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) championship.
Thomas’ win has sparked debate about whether biological males should be able to compete in women’s sports, even if they are “transitioning” to females. Critics say they have a biologically unfair advantage over women, and that biological females who “transition” to men do not typically try to compete in men’s sports.
Furthering the debate over transgenderism and other LGBT issues in the United States, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) earlier this week signed into law HB 1557, an anti-grooming bill that stops teachers from teaching 5-to-8-year-old students about sexuality and gender.
That bill has become controversial, and has led to a tiff between Walt Disney World, one of the state’s largest employers, and DeSantis’ office.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Nickie Antonio” by Nickie J. Antonio. Background Photo “Transgender Day of Visibility” by Ohio Senate Dems.
