CINCINNATI — Before transitioning as a teenager, University of Cincinnati sophomore Elliot Borgatti said he often contemplated and tried to commit suicide to escape the feeling of living in the wrong body.
"I wanted out," he said. "I wanted to die. I really did."
Borgatti believes undergoing a medical transition under the supervision of a doctor as a teenager saved his life.
"This doesn't happen with everybody, and I still have mental health issues for sure, but, I mean, I didn't have a suicide attempt after I started testosterone," he said. "I think that says a lot."
He is in step with many protesting at the Republican-dominated state capital Wednesday after the Ohio Senate voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of HB 68. The bill implemented bans on gender-affirming care for minors and outlawed trans female participation in women's sports.
RELATED | Ohio Senate overrides Gov. DeWine's veto, banning gender-affirming care for trans youth
Following the vote, DeWine expressed his disappointment in lawmakers in the House and Senate, where Republicans hold a super-majority, pushing the law through despite his objections.
"I think the parents should make those decisions and not the government," DeWine said. "To me, that's what we believe in families."
At a press conference announcing his veto, DeWine said he decided to veto the bill after talking with people who may not have been alive if not for gender-affirming care.
Bill supporters in the house, like Republican co-sponsor Adam Mathews representing Latonia's District 56, celebrated the veto override.
"I am so grateful that the senate was able to follow our lead in the house," Mathews said.
Mathews argued the new law protects young Ohioans from choosing to alter their bodies before they can comprehend what they're doing."
"This is motivated by a love for everyone to take care of their bodies," he said. "This is part of the same type of legislation that Ohio has no problem banning tattoos for minors."
The law will take effect in 90 days if not blocked by a judge in likely litigation.
Attorney General David Yost posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was prepared to defend the law against "the inevitable legal challenge."
Several LGBTQ allied groups had already planned to host a virtual town hall on Jan. 25 to discuss available resources for trans-youth if the governor's veto was overridden.
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