Ingram Condemns Passage of Discriminatory "Bathroom Bill"

This week, state Senator Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati) condemned the Ohio Senate’s concurrence of Senate Bill 104, which imposes restrictive and discriminatory provisions prohibiting students from using restrooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity if it does not match the sex they were assigned at birth.

“Despite the fact that we say things such as ‘gender issues,’ the reality is these are people’s lives,” Ingram said. “The majority of this legislative body is making an entire group of individuals feel less safe by ostracizing them to the point that they feel unable to live the life that they have grown into. Shame on us for continuing to separate and exploit individuals who have already been exploited enough.”

S.B. 104 originally focused on improving the state’s College Credit Plus Program but was amended on the floor by the Ohio House of Representatives to include House Bill 183, the discriminatory bathroom ban. S.B. 104 now mandates public and chartered nonpublic schools, educational service centers (ESCs), and higher education institutions designate restrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities exclusively for male or female students based on biological sex. It further prohibits these entities from allowing students to use facilities that do not align with their assigned sex at birth, banning the creation of multi-gendered or open facilities.

“When I chose to co-sponsor this bill, it was about College Credit Plus, and of course, I was hoping there would be additional modifications focusing on the disparity of accessibility of this program to all our students across the state,” said Ingram. “Unfortunately, I had to take my name off this legislation because the Republican Caucus has decided to again amend in harmful legislation that has nothing to do with the original intent of this bill.” 

Senate Bill 104 now heads to Governor DeWine for his signature.