The SAFE Act
(Formerly Ohio HB68)
LOVEboldly's Stance: OPPOSE
Why should Christians care about Ohio HB68?
Summary - HB68
HB68 is a substitute bill replacing the original HB68 and HB6. It was passed by the Ohio General Assembly; vetoed by Governor DeWine; and subsequently had its veto overrode. HB68 is set to take effect on April 24, 2024. Should that happen, tt would ban gender-affirming care for Transgender youth and restrict Trans girls/young women from participating on female teams in K-12 and collegiate athletics.
Status of the Bill
(as of November 5, 2024)
The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas issued a ruling on the lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Ohio and the ACLU in which the court ruled in favor of the state. Effective immediately, HB68 is law in the State of Ohio.
The ACLU of Ohio appealed the case to Ohio's 10th District Court of Appeals. The District Court granted a motion from the State for an expedited hearing and denied a motion from the ACLU for a temporary injunction. HB68 remains law in Ohio at this time. Oral arguments were heard on Wednesday, September 11, 2024. No ruling has been issued at this time.
Take Action
1. Donate to the TransOhio Emergency Fund to help cover the costs of families seeking out-of-state care for their children.
2. Check in with your Transgender friends and family. The Trans community is under an all out siege and needs our support more than ever.
Other Resources Regarding Ohio HB 68
*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.
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.
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.