COLUMBUS — Transgender students from kindergarten through college at Ohio public and private schools will be banned from using multiperson bathrooms that fit their gender identities under a new bill signed into law on Wednesday by Gov. Mike DeWine.
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DeWine signed Senate Bill 104 into law on Wednesday. The bill amends enacts the Protect All Students Act, which requires public and private schools, colleges and universities to designate separate bathrooms, locker rooms, and overnight accommodations “for the exclusive use” of either males and females, based on one’s gender assigned at or near birth, in school buildings and other facilities used for school-sponsored events. It contains no enforcement mechanism.
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DeWine signed the bill over the objections of Democrats, teachers’ unions, and civil rights groups, the Associated Press reported.
The ACLU of Ohio was among the groups that had lobbied for a veto, condemning the measure as a violation of the right of privacy of LGBTQ+ Ohioans that will make them less safe, according to the Associated Press.
“It revolves around safety, security, and, I think, common sense. It protects our children and grandchildren in private spaces where they are most vulnerable,” state Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), the bill’s co-sponsor, said.
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