Ohio Gov. Signs ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Into Law

Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) has signed into law H.B. 8, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, that will ban teachers from acknowledging LGBTQ identities except to forcibly out students to their parents. While DeWine proudly signed other bills on the same day in front of news cameras, he chose to sign H.B. 8 behind closed doors.

Sad day for Ohio as Ohio Gov signs their own version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. Florida continues to be distribution center for bad legislation and Ohio is a willing buyer. ⁦⁦@OFTunion⁩ ⁦@rweingarten⁩ https://t.co/H6llGKRGKv

— Bob Morgenstern (@MorgyWV) January 9, 2025

From The Advocate:

H.B. 8 prohibits educators from discussing “sexuality content” in grades K-3, and mandates that instruction at other levels be “age appropriate.”

The bill defines “sexuality content” as “oral or written instruction, presentation, image or description of sexual concepts or gender ideology.” It does not define “sexual concepts,” “gender ideology,” nor “age appropriate.”

The bill also requires school staff to notify parents of “any change in the student’s services, including counseling services, or monitoring related to the student’s mental, emotional or physical health or well-being,” specifically marking transgender identity as reason for notification.

The policy also encompasses sexual orientation, and makes no exceptions for cases where a student is at risk of abuse.

A study from the University of Connecticut found two-thirds of LGBTQ minors who were outed without their consent said that the event caused significant stress. One-third of such students were found to be more likely to face less support from their families and experience depression.