Gov. Mike Dewine signs Ohio Senate Bill 104 into law Wednesday, concerning Ohio University students.
The bill updated Ohio’s College Credit Plus program to increase awareness of the program and allowed for seventh to 12th grade students to enroll.
"This bill provides students with opportunities to access a college degree in a more cost-efficient way," Sen. Andrew Brenner, a primary sponsor of the bill, said to the Ohio Senate. "Additionally, SB 104 sets parameters to protect students' safety."
The bill passed through the House as Ohio House Bill 183, with the House adding a ban on transgender students from using the bathroom matching their gender identity. HB 183 required Ohio K-12 schools to have single-sex restrooms, showers and changing rooms; however, accommodations can be made to individual circumstances.
“House Bill 183 addressed the concern from many Ohio parents about their local schools allowing the opposite sex into shared restrooms or locker rooms," Brenner said. "I support protecting women, and our daughters, by simply providing the specific facilities reserved for them.”
Hazel Quitslund Escobedo, a junior studying mathematics, said she thinks the bill may be a scapegoat for politicians and may create unneeded fear against transgender people.
“I feel that this bill unfairly is portraying transgender people, especially transgender women, as criminal or as likely to harm others,” Quitslund Escobedo said. “I think that it plays on fears of various transphobic tropes, and I think that it could really harm people.”
Furthermore, Quitslund Escobedo currently feels transgender people are already excluded due to the costs of gender-affirming care.
According to the National Library of Medicine, in 2018 hormone therapy costs ranged from $72 to $3,792. In addition, oftentimes insurers will not help with the costs without a proof of referral letter for hormone therapy and surgical procedures from mental health professionals, which further creates barriers.
“(The bill) tries to exclude (transgender people) from public life by making them not able to use the restroom and further than that, it incentivizes cisgender people to view trans people as a potential threat,” Quitslund Escobedo said.
Even though she says OU is an inclusive university, Quitslund Escobedo worries the bill will further marginalize transgender students.
“I can't go into the male restroom,” Quitslund Escobedo said. "It’s unsafe for me, obviously, and when people talk about women's safety, they're never talking about women like me, so that is part of the issue."
Currently, to help students who are transgender, the university provides inclusive housing, gender-affirming care, the Pride Center and a map of all the single-user and family restrooms.
“I do not have a large amount of faith in the Ohio University administration,” Quitslund Escobedo said. “I don't think they're particularly transphobic. But ultimately, they want to do as much as they can for as little as they can. In my experience, that means that if a transgender student needs help that would require a lot of effort or resources, the school is not usually willing to extend a ton of resources and help.”
Quitslund Escobedo says she does not have much confidence the school would construct gender-neutral restrooms as part of these resources to help transgender students.
Sam Pelham, a university spokesperson, said the university is aware of the bill and is currently reviewing the bill to determine its effects.
“OHIO has long been committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful environment for all students, staff and visitors, and we will continue to work to ensure that our public restroom signage and accommodations continue to meet the needs of our University community and remain compliant with all applicable state and federal laws,” Pelham wrote in an email.
SB 104 will take effect 90 days from signing.
