CINCINNATI — As the Ohio Senate took final action to override Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, 14-year-old Luci Arick was in Columbus protesting.
Arick said she was worried that her peers, others who had been or soon would be seeking gender-affirming care, wouldn't be able to cope if House Bill 68 became law.
"It was definitely scary with all of the voting going on," she said. "We didn't want to leave with a bad outcome."
The law did pass, and HB 68 will take effect April 23.
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"We're doing nothing wrong. We're just existing," Arick said.
Arick is a client at Transform Cincy, a group that provides a safe space for transgender people and provides resources, like multiple outfits, for trans youth looking to socially transition.
Tristan Vaught is the co-founder and said demand for their services has skyrocketed.
"I think we're still going to see kids socially transitioning so we're still going to need clothing, we're still going to need the space for them to be. Not everyone has access to just move out of the state," Vaught said.
Stories like these are why Cincinnati City Councilman Reggie Harris said he organized a town hall-style meeting at the McKie Rec Center in Northside.
He said there's a huge amount that's still unknown when it comes to the effects of HB 68.
"There will be some actual tangible resources but also a lot of, here's where we're at, right?" Harris said.
The councilman said Cincinnati's legal department would be on hand to talk with other stakeholders like Equality Ohio and the Association of Social Workers about what the city can legally do to support trans youth.
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One example of a legal gray area, according to Harris, was whether the city's health department could contract with providers or social workers to provide mental health services for trans individuals.
"Here's where we are, here are the dos and don'ts and here's what we don't understand," Harris said.
The meeting at the McKie Rec Center begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, and Harris said if people can't make it they should call his office and his team would help connect them with the resources they need.
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