Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine: Hear Him Out, What If They DIDN'T Shit On Trans Kids?
Mike DeWine does, on occasion, actually think for himself.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine did something very surprising for a Republican today — he vetoed the Enact Ohio Saving Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for trans youth and barred transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and womens’ sports.
Unfortunately, the state Legislature does have enough votes to override the veto, but whether they will or not remains to be seen.
Via WLWT:
DeWine said his decision comes after speaking with physicians who provide gender-affirming care, families impacted and lawmakers.
"I've also listened to youth and parents. Parents who have told me if not for this treatment, their child would be dead," DeWine said.
DeWine touched on the complexity and impact of the bill.
"The consequences of this bill could not be more profound," DeWine said.
"Ohio would be saying the state, the government, knows better than the two people who love that child the most, the parents," DeWine said.
"I can not sign this bill as it is currently written," DeWine said Friday, announcing he vetoed the bill.
DeWine previously opposed another bill meant to ban trans kids from sports, saying he thought that should be left up to the individual sports teams. Is that great? Certainly not. But it is better than what the other members of his party want.
I disagree with Mike DeWine on pretty much everything, but one thing I can say for him is that he’s not a hysterical bandwagoneer. He has, on more than one occasion, demonstrated an ability to take in new information and make up his own mind, independent of right-wing talking points — and that is something for which we should always give credit. He has pushed for (some) gun control after the shooting in Dayton, his COVID response was excellent, and this latest move is to be commended, whatever the eventual outcome. It’s the people who mindlessly repeat the same slogans and bad jokes and incorrect “facts” without ever even bothering to confirm whether or not they are indeed true who should scare the absolute crap out of us, as they are both stupid and dangerous.
This is the number one issue the Right is up in arms about lately, and for any one of them to calm the hell down and actually listen to the people affected, listen to experts and openly disagree with their party, is a very big deal. Especially given that conservatives very specifically want people to remain ignorant about this, and practically everything they’ve done has been in pursuit of that goal.
DeWine has asked the state Assembly to work with him on this (whatever that means) instead of just overriding it. That would be nice and we hope that happens — or that if it doesn’t, a nice judge somewhere in Ohio tosses the bill out just like a Louisiana judge did when the Louisiana Legislature overrode John Bel Edwards’s veto of their version of the SAFE Act. It could happen!
PREVIOUSLY:
Yeah, this wasn't going to fit in a comment.
https://pervertjustice.substack.com/p/let-me-make-myself-clear
for everybody saying "eh he doesn't get a cookie" or whatever ... do we want usually bad people to do a good thing, or do we want them to say "well I'll get shit on either way so might as well keep being awful"?
We progressives aren't persuading anyone to righteousness when we stomp on them for being good just as well as for being bad.