Since November, Ohio has passed a number of bills that focus on transgender students. The “Protect Students Act,” passed in November, prevents transgender students from using public bathrooms that match their gender identity. 

Shortly after, the Ohio General Assembly passed HB 8, which will require school staff to notify a student’s parents if the student identifies as transgender or goes by a different name than in school records. It will also allow parents to opt their children out of educational content that discusses gender or sexuality. 

Democrats, civil rights groups and teachers unions have widely condemned the laws. To better understand their impact, The Chatterbox interviewed three transgender students from WHHS. The names of those interviewed were changed to protect their privacy. 

Liam, a transgender man, graduated from WHHS last year and currently attends a rural Ohio college.

“Not coming out to anyone felt like I wasn’t living,” Liam said. 

Those over 18, including Liam, still worry about the effects of the laws: Ohio’s recent bathroom bill targets college and K-12 educational facilities and applies to public and private schools. The bill does not contain an enforcement mechanism.

“I ​think ​[the bill] is ​deciding ​that ​people ​like ​me ​don’t ​get ​to ​exist ​in ​public,” Liam said. “​It’s ​essentially ​saying ​you’ve ​got ​to ​conform ​to ​this ​specific ​presentation or ​’we’re ​going ​to try ​to ​outlaw ​your ​existence.’”

14 other states, including Florida, Utah and Mississippi, have passed similar bills, citing transgender visibility as a threat to student safety. However, studies have shown transgender people face a disproportionate amount of violence when compared to people who identify as the gender they were assigned at birth. According to the UCLA Williams Institute, transgender people are over four times more likely to be the victim of a violent crime. A different 2024 study found that transgender youth in states with anti-transgender laws are more likely to attempt suicide. 

“I’m ​very ​worried ​about ​​people ​seeing ​​someone ​who ​they ​decide ​does ​not ​meet ​​the ​quota ​for ​being ​the ​sex ​they ​think ​they ​are, ​​and ​they’re ​going ​to ​try ​to ​enact ​violence ​on ​them ​because ​they ​think ​this ​law ​is ​on ​their ​side,” Liam said.

Noah, a transgender man, plans to attend college out-of-state once he graduates this spring.

“The ​repercussions [of these bills] ​are ​more ​hate ​towards ​trans ​people ​and ​in ​turn, ​more ​fear ​from ​trans ​people ​to ​be ​themselves,” Noah said.

Noah described how this bill’s mentality is familiar: they sometimes listen to similar arguments from relatives over Thanksgiving break.

“There’s ​a ​sense ​of ​disbelief ​that ​​trans ​people even ​exist… I’ve ​heard ​family ​members ​talk ​about ​this and ​wholeheartedly ​believe ​it,” Noah said. “It’s irrational.” 

However, Noah also noted that support from their family has become an important part of their transition.

“I’m ​very ​lucky ​to ​have ​supportive ​parents,” Noah said. “​​I ​had ​somewhere ​to ​go ​and ​even if ​it’s ​not ​perfect, ​they ​supported ​me and ​are ​happy ​for ​me. Sometimes they forget ​my ​pronouns, ​but ​they ​try ​and ​that’s that. ​That’s ​really ​all ​that ​matters ​to ​me.”

Emily, a transgender woman who currently attends WHHS, shared similar concerns about how these laws might impact education for transgender students.

“I ​can ​count ​on ​one ​hand ​the ​amount ​of ​people [at WHHS] ​who ​have ​been ​weird ​to ​me about being trans ​and made ​me ​feel ​uncomfortable,” Emily said.

HB 8 has been criticized for its similarities to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that passed in Florida in 2022. Gov. DeWine’s signature made Ohio the 18th state to adopt similar measures since then. HB 8 allows parents to opt their children out of lessons that discuss gender or sexuality and requires teachers to notify parents if a student identifies as transgender.

“I don’t see it as likely that people at Walnut will be outed by teachers that often,” Emily said. “It also puts teachers at risk… A number of teachers have Google forms that ask for your name and pronouns, and if I was a teacher, I wouldn’t want to have that on paper.”

Such legislation is suspected to remain a divisive topic in national and state politics. President Trump has  signed executive orders that state the US will only recognize “two sexes” (male and female) and restrict gender affirming care to those under 19. These moves could have wide-reaching implications for how transgender people interact with legal and social systems in the United States.

“For trans people, for families of trans people, for healthcare providers, it makes things a lot harder, and I think will have a significant negative impact,” Emily said.

Emily updated the name and gender marker on her legal documents to match her identity just months before the inauguration. Under the current administration, she would not have been able to do so since Secretary of State Marco Rubio requested the Department of State to deny gender marker updates, among other measures.

“I’m glad I was able to get that done just barely before I would no longer be able to do it,” Emily said. 

As struggles to expand legal opportunities for transgender people gain more traction, so do legislative attempts to counteract these movements.

“Trans people will pay more attention to laws than cis[gender] people… but my ​hope and expectation ​is ​that laws like these, that make ​things ​worse, ​will ​help ​more ​people ​care,” Noah said.