The Ohio Senate recently dropped a provision from House Bill 151, which said athletes suspected of being transsexual must undergo a 'genital inspection' as part of the verification process. Instead, they would be required to submit birth certificates to prove their sex.
Details of H.B. 151
According to a City Beat report, H.B. 151, or the Ohio transgender sports bill, would effectively ban transgender student-athletes from participating in women's events. In essence, the bill would classify student-athletes according to their sex and not their gender.
Education leaders across the state lauded the proposed legislation, which seeks to boost teacher mentorship in school sports.
According to various representatives from Ohio education institutions, such as the Ohio School Boards Association, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA), and Ohio's associations of secondary and elementary school administrators, the bill's mentorship and teacher support portion could help them greatly.
"HB 151 creates a system of support for new teachers, allowing them opportunities to connect online with highly qualified mentors," Tom Perkins told the Ohio Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee during their Dec. 6 meeting.
The report said Perkins is the Executive Director of BASA.
But despite his statement supporting the bill, Perkins and the rest of the state education groups at the committee meeting refused to stand behind the bill's provision banning trans athletes from joining in sports that fall under their gender identity. If approved, the bill would effectively exclude trans athletes who identify as female from participating in women's sports.
Some amendments progressed during the meeting of the Ohio Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee. The language about trans athletes remained, with the genital inspection provision getting dropped.
The provision, which called for an inspection of a student athlete's genitals, drew flak from LGBTQ+ advocates. They feared that the language could subject trans athletes to the procedure, which could prove humiliating.
The report disclosed that Don Jones, a Republican state representative from Ohio, sponsored the bill. The provision on genital inspection to prove a student athlete's sex passed the House in June but failed to hurdle the state Senate.
The news outlet said the bill was intended to effect certain changes to the two-year residency program called the Ohio Teacher Residency Program. The program reportedly assists teachers in navigating the state's education program by serving as mentees of experienced teachers.
The report added those who participate in the residency program are also required to undergo the resident Educator Summative Assessment.
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State High School Athletic Group's Testimony About Trans Athletes
The report noted the testimony by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) concerning the participation of transgender athletes in school sports contests.
"Since the 2015-16 school year, there have been seven transgender females who have participated in high school sports in Ohio. There have been eight transgender females who have participated at the 7/8 grade level, for a total of 15 children in eight years," City Beat quoted Doug Ute saying.
Ute is the Executive Director of OHSAA, explained in a statement.
Ute referred to the OHSAA policy on transgender female athletes, saying it has proven "very effective in addressing their participation" in women's sports.
OHSAA's policy says student-athletes who are transgender must be accorded fair opportunities when they engage in school-sanctioned sports events.
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