Laws regarding transgender issues compelled this Ohio family to depart from the state.

This blog originally appeared at The Buckeye Flame.

“We are not the parents whom they wish to grant rights.

This month, legislators approved House Bill 68, prohibiting gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors and restricting the participation of trans girls on girls’ and women’s scholastic sports teams.

Governor Mike DeWine has not yet signed the bill into law.

Dani Beale and her family, including 12-year-old transgender daughter Blaze, relocated from Ohio to Western New York due to what they perceive as the anti-trans measures taken by Ohio lawmakers.

Beale expressed that her family felt compelled to relocate when Republican lawmakers introduced the legislation that eventually became HB 68 earlier this year.

“We began to observe the language in the bills, and we realized that we wouldn’t have a choice if we were going to care for our child in the way we believe is necessary for her,” Beale explained.

“The moment that hit me was when Blaze said, ‘I don’t want to live in a state that doesn’t want me.’ That really struck me when she said those words out loud,” she expressed.

Blaze conveyed that she, along with other trans individuals, senses being singled out by lawmakers.

“This has been blown way out of proportion. It’s like 2% of people are trans,” she said. “It’s not affecting a lot of people, but the people that it is affecting, it’s affecting them so much.”

Medical care is the chief concern.

The Saving Adolescents from Experimentation Act (SAFE Act) prohibits gender-affirming healthcare, encompassing puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapies. Detractors argue that it essentially outlaws counseling for transgender youth. This act was consolidated into HB 68 along with the Save Women’s Sports Act, which prohibits transgender girls from participating in girls’ and women’s scholastic sports.

Ohio is currently contemplating a range of restrictions, including the “bathroom bill,” which would prevent students from using restrooms or locker rooms assigned to a sex other than that listed on their birth certificate.

According to Dani Beale, the various proposed bills in Ohio, especially those like the “bathroom bill,” are discriminatory towards her child. However, the primary concern for her family was the potential restriction of medical care. They felt the need to ensure their child could receive proper medical care without facing penalties or risks to their ability to parent, and the legislative environment in Ohio raised concerns in this regard.

Beale and other advocates reference support from institutions like the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association, and various other groups endorsing gender-affirming care. They argue that such care has been safely administered for decades.

Beale emphasized that gender-affirming care is the appropriate treatment for Blaze.

“What puberty blockers do is essentially hit pause, preventing puberty and allowing us a few more years to have conversations with her, for her to grow up and explore her identity, ensuring this is the path we want to take,” she explained.

“Individuals can form their opinions on our parenting choices, but when it comes to legislation dictating what I, as a parent, can decide for my child, that’s a significant concern. Particularly in a state where parental rights are highly valued by many, yet we, as parents, are not granted those rights,” Beale expressed.

The politics of gender

Blaze recognized her gender identity as a girl at an early age.

“I’ve known since I could remember that being a boy wasn’t really who I am,” she expressed.

However, she isn’t overly focused on gender.

She emphasized that her identity as a trans person or part of the LGBTQ community has never defined her personality. She’d rather be recognized for her interests and activities, such as playing the euphonium, being part of a basketball team, and her previous involvement in a jump rope team. For her, these are the aspects she wants people to associate with her, rather than her past gender identity, as it doesn’t hold significance in defining who she is.

She thinks that the legislature is overly fixated on the politics of gender, overlooking her humanity in the process.

“I wish they could see beyond my name and gender, delving deep to recognize that I’m not just a trans girl; I am simply a human.” 🔥