Around the time Ember learned how to properly swing a bat, Republican state lawmakers in Ohio joined a national wave of introducing legislation banning transgender girls from playing girls’ sports. Eighteen states, all under Republican control, have signed them into law in just over two years.
“I had just started playing. It was scary. I just got onto a team,” Ember, who asked that her last name and hometown not be shared, said in an interview.
“I just finally made it to the point where I’m allowed to play – where the state agrees, you are not advantaged in any way, and you are a girl. And then, all of a sudden, it was like a full 180.”
Ember had only just made varsity when she learned about the state legislation (House Bill 151) that would block her from playing softball.
Ember says her team treats her just like any other player. The other teams probably have no idea she’s trans, she figures. She’s a reserve player who only picked up the sport as a sophomore.
(Jake Zuckerman. “She’s Ohio’s only trans female playing varsity sports; lawmakers want her out.” Ohio Capital Journal.10 WBNS. June 14, 2022.)
Would you like to know the truth about why Republicans are making such a fuss about trans females playing varsity sports?
The truth is Ember – she is the only trans female playing varsity sports in Ohio. To say she made varsity is something of a stretch. Her northeast Ohio high school team is short on players. It has no junior varsity counterpart. There aren’t even enough athletes to keep up a summer team. Ember, 17, plays as an outfielder and catcher.
And, in order to play, Ember has already met the Ohio High School Sports Athletic Association's policy for transgender athletes. She, per the policy, had to demonstrate that she had undergone at least one year of hormone treatment related to her gender transition, which she started during her first year of high school. She also provided information about her height and weight for comparison with other girls her age to show she doesn’t bear any physical advantage. The process amounts to a lot of stressful paperwork and bloodwork that must be renewed every year.
During the 2021-2022 school year, the OHSAA issued six rulings for transgender female participation – one at the high school level and five at the middle school level, according to a league spokeswoman.
But, all of that is not enough for the good old Ohio Republican legislators. In their final legislative session earlier this month before primary elections, Ohio House Republicans slipped an amendment into an unrelated bill that prohibits transgender females (male to female) from participating in interscholastic, women’s sports. This marked the second time in a year they added a transgender athlete ban into unrelated legislation and passed it. The bill’s sponsors insist they’re not attacking trans people and only trying to “preserve the integrity” of women’s sports from a “disadvantage that threatens their athletic achievement.
Oh, brother – this is also the group that sponsors bills to outlaw health care treatments for trans kids? Statehouse reporter Jake Zuckerman diligently asks: And why do they only care about women’s sports when a trans woman succeeds?
Thus, in a state of 11.8 million people, House Bill 151 would have the immediate effect of blocking the small cohort of one high schooler and five middle school students from playing sports. More broadly, the bill’s critics — including Ember her mother — say the legislation is a naked attack on transgender people and a plain message that they aren’t welcome in Ohio.
“The biggest thing is, these are children,” Ember said of herself and the four middle schoolers. “These are not Olympic athletes. They’re not here to win, they’re here to just enjoy having the community and having the friendship and the sport itself. We’re children. We’re not trying to takeover anything. We’re just trying to have fun.”
(Jake Zuckerman. “She’s Ohio’s only trans female playing varsity sports; lawmakers want her out.” Ohio Capital Journal.10 WBNS. June 14, 2022.)
How deep does this prejudice run in Ohio? Republican deep. When the ban passed the first time in June 2021, only one of 58 Republicans present voted no – the lone defection came from Rick Carfagna, who has since left the House to work as a lobbyist. In a vote on the same bill in June 2022, Rep. Brett Hudson Hillyer was the only House Republican to vote no (he didn’t respond to a text message from Ohio Capital Journal asking why).
The Hearing For House Bill 151
Ember sat in on the hearing in June. A pediatrician, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and two lobbyists with the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association spoke first, urging lawmakers against the legislation. Dr. David Axelson, of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said the legislation runs the risk of depriving children of mental health care that they critically need. It inserts the government into family health care decisions and violates the standards of care for transgender people established by treating physicians, he said.
Zuckerman reported …
“After the medical officials wrapped up, Rep. Gary Click, a Sandusky County Republican, led off the questioning by asking Axelson why Nationwide Children’s Hospital is 'providing hardcore pornography' to teenagers. He claimed erotic material is just a few clicks away from the hospital’s website.
“From the public seats, Ember said she tried her best not to cackle at Click’s remark. She asked her mom if the lawmaker was being serious with the question.
“Minna, Ember’s mother, was livid. She described the question as atrocious.
“'For the very first question to be asked about accusing children’s hospitals of supporting hardcore porn for minors, was the clearest indication to me that this is nothing but absolute political theater meant to garner support from a very limited number of people,' Minna said. 'That is just horrific. Clearly, it had nothing whatsoever to do with the topic at hand.'”
(Jake Zuckerman. “She’s Ohio’s only trans female playing varsity sports; lawmakers want her out.” Ohio Capital Journal.10 WBNS. June 14, 2022.)
Note:
The site in question is Mozaic Ohio, which was described on the hospital page as a “wellness site and community space for transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary people of color ages 13 to 29.” But when you go to the Mozaic site, you find numerous problematic “resources.”
CCV, the Center for Christian Virtue, brought this to our attention and found that there is no age verification on this site. Within three to four clicks from the link on the Children’s site, through Mozaic, one was quickly into hard core porn videos.
Well, the good news is that Nationwide Children apparently looked into the question, found it to be sadly true, and has removed that link—for now. After all, they are on defense mode about their highly questionable gender “change” clinic for children. We will see if, after the bill is resolved one way or another, the links go back up. And, what ridiculous judgment was in play to put any of this there in the first place?
Here’s what David Mahan of CCV said: “While we are pleased to know that the Columbus-based ‘wellness program’ Mozaic was removed from Nationwide’s website, we remain deeply concerned about the tendency of some ‘LGBT’ organizations to use obscene materials as educational resources for children. This is yet another example of why parental consent for any teaching or counseling regarding gender identity is essential, and HB 454 would require it by law."
This Mozaic site was featured as a resource in one sex education program taught in many Central Ohio schools several years back by the counseling group Syntero. We at Mission America along with Protect Ohio Children exposed this Syntero obscenity widely, and it seems now as though their sex ed program has been dismantled. So that’s another piece of good news. But we must remain watchful.
(Linda Harvey. “Nationwide Children’s Hospital Removes Obscene 'Trans' Link from Site.” Mission: America. June 13, 2022.)
Later in the proceedings, Rep. Daniel Troy, D-Willowick, said he was disappointed by Click's questioning and didn't understand why it had been asked.
Troy said, "I suppose I go onto the internet and I click on Donald Trump, I'm probably two or three away from Stormy Daniels (adult film star who battled in court with Trump in a defamation case). I don't know where this stuff is going to take me."
The room erupted in both laughter and applause before Manchester called for order and moved on to the next representative's questions.
(Abby Bammerlin. “Ohio Republican lawmaker: Nationwide Children's Hospital website is a few clicks from porn.” The Columbus Dispatch. June 9, 2022.)
Conclusion
Ember is pessimistic about the fate of the legislation and her future in Ohio. She said she’s not sensing any resistance to the anti-trans bills anywhere from Ohio Republicans, who firmly control the House and Senate.With media appearances, advocacy, and meeting with officials, she said she’s exhausted. She turns 18 next month, and never wanted to be in the middle of a culture war until then. But sports did a lot for her, she said, and lawmakers’ actions could mean younger trans girls might not get the chance.
She turns 18 this summer and will be a senior. Ember wants to play softball in college in some capacity. But she said she can’t do that if the trans sports ban passes, so she’s looking out-of-state.
This could cost her a winning ticket. Ember won Ohio’s Vax-2-School lottery, a federally funded lottery incentive for school-aged children to get vaccinated against COVID-19. She’s one of 150 young Ohioans to win a $10,000 scholarship toward the in-state college or university of her choice.
Note:
The Ohio Vax-2-School prize scholarships are awarded in Ohio 529 College Advantage plans and can be used at any Ohio college, university, technical or trade school, or career program, of the winner’s choice.
Five scholarships worth $100,000.
150 scholarships worth $10,000.
If the trans sports ban passes, Ember said she’s leaving the state for college; this would likely mean giving the scholarship to her brother.
Even if the bills don’t pass, Ember said their message is clear. That trans kids are “subhuman.” Her mom agreed.
(Jake Zuckerman. “She’s Ohio’s only trans female playing varsity sports; lawmakers want her out.” Ohio Capital Journal.10 WBNS. June 14, 2022.)
Please access Jake
Zuckerman's entire article by clicking here: https://www.10tv.com/article/news/politics/shes-ohios-only-trans-female-playing-varsity-sports/530-fb67fad1-a45b-4fe7-ba47-7c4c6c333b1c
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My
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With my 'agenda' in hand that some people fear,
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Corey Jones
March 7, 2021
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