The Ohio GOP passed an anti-trans bill that lets people accuse student-athletes of being transgender, forcing a doctor to certify their genitals

• Transgender girls would be barred from competing in Ohio school or college sports under a bill passed by House GOP.
• People would also be able to accuse student-athletes of being transgender under the bill.

Under a new anti-transgender bill passed this week by House Republican lawmakers in Ohio, transgender girls would be barred from competing in school or college sports in the state — and if a student is accused of being transgender, a doctor would need to prove their biological sex.

And despite Republicans' claims the bill was designed to protect "girls' dreams of being a gold medal athlete," Ohio advocates and athlete organizations say there's only a single transgender girl currently competing in high school sports.

If House Bill 151 is approved in the state senate and signed into law, people would be able to accuse student-athletes of being transgender, forcing them to have a doctor certify their genitals, hormone levels, or genetics.

The proposal was slipped into an unrelated education bill by GOP lawmakers on Wednesday at the eleventh hour, according to News 5 Cleveland.

All House Republicans voted in favor of the bill — which was sponsored by Republican state Rep. Don Jones — while all Democrats opposed it.

The bill states that "no school, interscholastic conference, or organization that regulates interscholastic athletics shall permit individuals of the male sex to participate on athletic teams or in athletic competitions designated only for participants of the female sex."

If the sex of a student-athlete "is disputed," the bill says, the student "shall establish" their sex "by presenting a signed physician's statement indicating the participant's sex."

Under the bill, that would be based upon the students' "internal and external reproductive anatomy," their "normal endogenously produced levels of testosterone," as well as "an analysis of the participant's genetic makeup."

The bill does not place limits on when an accusation could be made, raising the possibility that an accusation could be made against cisgender athletes during competition.

The legislation targets transgender girls, but according to Equality Ohio and the Ohio High School Athletic Association, there is only one transgender girl in Ohio that is currently participating in high school sports, News 5 Cleveland reported.

Still, House Republicans said their backing of the bill is justified.

"I am passionate about this issue because we can not allow girls' dreams of being a gold medal athlete to be crushed by biological males stealing their opportunity," Republican state Rep. Jena Powell said, according to News 5 Cleveland.

Democrats like state Rep. Beth Liston condemned the passage of the bill.

"This legislation is just plain sick," Liston said in a statement. "No child should be forced to undergo 'genital inspections' so that they can play sports."

Liston said forcing students to get an inspection of their internal and external reproductive anatomy is "very creepy and borderline assault."

"Our children's sexual development is none of the Ohio House's business," said Liston. "My Republican colleagues need to keep their hands off our children."