Ohio House Bill 183

LOVEboldly's Stance: OPPOSE

Why should Christians care about Ohio House Bill 183?

Important Note

The Ohio General Assembly is currently on recess and likely will not return until after the November 5 elections. We anticipate a lame* duck session to begin around November 12 and continue for approximately a month during which the legislature may try to move any number of bills that they have not previously passed.

Please prepare now for an ACTIVE organizing and advocacy season during the lame* duck session. However, please refrain from taking action now. Let's get ready and hold back until the session begins.

*LOVEboldly apologies for using this term which is rooted in colonial notions and has been used to marginalized the Disabled Community. Unfortuately, "lame duck session" has become part of the political vernacular in the United States. While several groups have proposed other terms, none of these have gained much traction. LOVEboldly continues to use the term while acknowledging its impact. We hope that we and all other organizations can do better in the future.

Summary - HB183

HB183 would restrict access to bathrooms, locker rooms, and other typically gendered spaces (including accommodations on overnight trips) for students, faculty, and staff in K-12 and higher education. The bill requires people to use the facility corresponding to the sex listed on their original birth certificate. It provides no clear plan for enforcement.

Status of the Bill
(as of September 10, 2024)

HB183 was introduced in the House on May 23, 2023, and assigned to the House Higher Education Committee on June 7, 2023. The Committee heard opponent testimony on October 11, 2023, proponent testimony on October 18, 2023, and interested party testimony on December 6, 2023. On January 10, 2024, a new substitute bill was introduced by the sponsors of HB183 which offered no substantive changes and in fact made the bill worst. On April 10, 2024, HB183 was voted out of committee.

On June 25, 2024, HB183 was added to SB104 (a bill on the College Credit Plus program) as an amendment and passed by the House. The combined SB104/HB183 will need a concurrence vote by the Senate when the legislature returns from recess.

Take Action

1. Call Speaker Stephens (614-466-1366) and urge him not to bring HB183 to the House for a vote.

2. Call and email your senator and representative. Tell them to vote NO on HB183 and urge them to do everything in their power to not allow HB183 to be attached to SB104 or any other bill.

Don't know who your senator or representative is? Find out at www.legislature.ohio.gov (search under “Who represents me?”).

Congregational Action*

1. Members of your congregation can participate in all the actions above.

2. Donate supplies to Trans Allies of Ohio for their community care rooms. During almost every hearing for bills that will impact the LGBTQIA+ community, Trans Allies of Ohio holds safer space for rest and fellowship. They would appreciate the support of congregations for food, beverage, and other items to continue making these spaces affirming of all people.

3. If your congregation is not yet a Church Partner with LOVEboldly consider becoming a partner.

4. Encourage your members to donate to LOVEboldly or one of our strategic partners including Equality Ohio, TransOhio, Trans Allies of Ohio, Honesty for Ohio Education, and the ACLU of Ohio.

Other Resources Regarding Ohio HB183

*Legal Stuff

We're not lawyers and nothing we say should be taken as legal advice. Please consult your congregational and denominational legal counsel for legal advice. That said, we know congregations sometimes wonder what they can and cannot do when it comes to advocacy.

Like LOVEboldly, most churches are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and as such are tax exempt. Donors to 501(c)(3) organizations can also, under some circumstances, deduct their donations from their taxes (another area where people should consult a professional which LOVEboldly is not).

DO - Churches and other 501(c)(3) nonprofits can engage in issue-based advocacy. This means we can publicly support or oppose policies, bills, regulations, and other governmental actions. In most cases our support or opposition is in the form of educating people and then arguing why people should support or oppose a particular issue. Everything on this page is an example of issue-based advocacy in opposition to HB8.

DON'T - Churches and other 501(c)(3) organizations cannot engage in partisan politics. We can neither endorse particular politicians nor can we lobby politicians or government officials. We can hold nonpartisan events such as a voter registration drive. We all have examples of churches behaving badly: pastors endorsing candidates from the pulpit, sermons demonizing other candidates, and many more. Don't model their behavior.