COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a landmark victory for bodily autonomy and LGBTQ+ rights in Ohio, a three-judge panel on the Tenth District Court of Appeals has overturned House Bill 68, a law that banned gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors and prohibited trans women and girls from participating in sports.
The ruling comes in the case of Moe v. Yost, which was originally filed on March 26 by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Ohio, and the global law firm Goodwin. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of two families whose transgender adolescents would have been directly impacted by the legislation.
Despite an initial defeat in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas—where a judge upheld the law following a five-day trial in July—the appellate court’s decision now blocks the enforcement of HB 68.
In response to the ruling, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost vowed to challenge the decision.
“This is a no-brainer – we are appealing that decision and will seek an immediate stay,” Yost said in a statement. “There is no way I’ll stop fighting to protect these unprotected children. Ohio’s elected representatives properly passed legislation protecting children from irreversible chemical sex change procedures, and the trial court upheld the law. But now, the 10th District Court of Appeals has just greenlighted these permanent medical interventions against minors.”
The ruling is expected to set the stage for further legal battles over the future of gender-affirming care in Ohio. Advocates for transgender rights have hailed the decision as a critical step toward protecting medical access for trans youth, while opponents, including state officials, have pledged to continue their fight to reinstate the ban.
