Rep. Somani Calls Ohio's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill an Attack on LGTBQ+ Schoolchildren, Disservice to Public Educators

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today condemned the passage of House Bill (HB) 8, Ohio’s version of the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. The law passed 57-31 late Wednesday night, requires public schools to notify parents about any matters concerning a student’s mental health, emotional well-being, or requests related to their gender identity.  

“This bill will put countless children in harm's way while also unfairly restricting the way teachers can talk about LGBTQ+ issues. Students deserve to feel safe and supported in school, not afraid they can no longer trust their teachers and school staff,” said Rep. Somani.

HB 8 was also amended to include provisions of Senate Bill 293, requiring all Ohio school districts to allow students to leave during the day for religious instruction.

“Requiring schools to allow kids to leave in the middle of the school day is a clear violation of the constitutional separation between church and state. Students being shuffled in and out of the classroom for religious instruction is incredibly disruptive to learning and will only make the teacher’s job harder.

House Bill 8 will inevitably hurt those it is meant to protect. It isolates and prevents a child from getting adult support especially if they don’t get that support at home. And it hurts teachers by disrupting their classroom and adding more work to their day. Our public schools were the best in the world 50 years ago but years of underfunding and pushing a Christian agenda have been devastating,”  said Rep. Somani.

HB 8 now heads to the governor where he can either veto the bill or sign it into law.