By Madison Dudley
11/17/22
Watch Final 'Jeopardy!' Question That Ended Amy Schneider's Historic Winning Streak
"Jeopardy!" champion Amy Schneider testified Wednesday in front of the Ohio legislature in opposition to a proposed bill limiting gender-affirming healthcare for Ohio youth.
Schneider, who is from Dayton, is the game show's first transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions." Earlier this year, she became the show's top female winner, earning over one million dollars over a 40-game run.
House Bill 454, also known as the Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act, would prohibit types of gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The bill would prohibit people under 18 from using puberty blockers or receiving gender reassignment surgeries.
If the bill is signed into law, doctors and medical practitioners will face professional punishment for providing gender-affirming medical care to minors. The bill also bans the use of public funds for all transgender treatment. It prohibits public and private schools from withholding from a child's parent or guardian if that child is experiencing gender identity issues.
Those in support of the bill say that puberty blockers are not safe and that practicing genders affirming medical care could do irreversible damage.
The legislation is sponsored by Republican state Reps. Gary Click and Diane Grendell and cosponsored by 23 other representatives. Click has been vocal on Twitter, advocating for the bill. He has tweeted that gender and sex are determined at conception and "children don't come with optional equipment packages."
During Schneider's testimony on Wednesday, she said the ban would not protect children but harm transgender youth seeking help.
"Far from protecting children, this bill would put some of them in grave danger and danger that not all of them would survive," Schneider said.
During her testimony, Schneider shared that while she has experienced great success in life, including her marriage to partner Genevieve Davis in May, if she lost access to hormone therapy, Schneider does not know if she could continue living.
"I hope that I would. I hope I'd find a way to do it, but I really believe that I might not survive," Schneider said.
Schneider was one of 12 people to testify on Wednesday and shared that in her experience with hormone therapy and gender-affirming care, she has been able to experience peace and safety in her life that was not there before.
"Please don't force them to go back to that constant feeling of wrongness and danger. I'm not asking anyone here to change your personal views on trans people. I'm not here to scold anyone about pronouns," Schneider said. "I'm not asking you to do anything except to not pass a ban that is expanding the government's reach, to not restrict the freedom of families and doctors and communities to decide for themselves what their children need."
After listening to more testimony, a substitute bill was adopted, allowing physicians to prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapy under specific conditions.
Those conditions include permission from the parent or guardian, the child receiving two years of therapy or counseling concerning their transition, and that the medications would not "result in an increased risk of vaginal atrophy, penile atrophy, testicular atrophy, permanent loss of libido, sterility, endometrial carcinoma, or polycystic ovary syndrome."
Ohio is one of many states attempting to pass bills limiting gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Earlier this month, the Florida Medical Board voted to restrict physicians from providing gender-affirming care to minors or risk losing their licenses.
The Texas legislator has introduced multiple bills this week, Transgender awareness week, including legislation that would label gender-affirming care to minors as "child abuse."
"Jeopardy!" champion Amy Schneider testified Wednesday in front of the Ohio legislature in opposition to a proposed bill limiting gender-affirming healthcare for Ohio youth.
Schneider, who is from Dayton, is the game show's first transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions." Earlier this year, she became the show's top female winner, earning over one million dollars over a 40-game run.
House Bill 454, also known as the Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act, would prohibit types of gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The bill would prohibit people under 18 from using puberty blockers or receiving gender reassignment surgeries.
If the bill is signed into law, doctors and medical practitioners will face professional punishment for providing gender-affirming medical care to minors. The bill also bans the use of public funds for all transgender treatment. It prohibits public and private schools from withholding from a child's parent or guardian if that child is experiencing gender identity issues.
Those in support of the bill say that puberty blockers are not safe and that practicing genders affirming medical care could do irreversible damage.
The legislation is sponsored by Republican state Reps. Gary Click and Diane Grendell and cosponsored by 23 other representatives. Click has been vocal on Twitter, advocating for the bill. He has tweeted that gender and sex are determined at conception and "children don't come with optional equipment packages."
During Schneider's testimony on Wednesday, she said the ban would not protect children but harm transgender youth seeking help.
"Far from protecting children, this bill would put some of them in grave danger and danger that not all of them would survive," Schneider said.
During her testimony, Schneider shared that while she has experienced great success in life, including her marriage to partner Genevieve Davis in May, if she lost access to hormone therapy, Schneider does not know if she could continue living.
"I hope that I would. I hope I'd find a way to do it, but I really believe that I might not survive," Schneider said.
Schneider was one of 12 people to testify on Wednesday and shared that in her experience with hormone therapy and gender-affirming care, she has been able to experience peace and safety in her life that was not there before.
"Please don't force them to go back to that constant feeling of wrongness and danger. I'm not asking anyone here to change your personal views on trans people. I'm not here to scold anyone about pronouns," Schneider said. "I'm not asking you to do anything except to not pass a ban that is expanding the government's reach, to not restrict the freedom of families and doctors and communities to decide for themselves what their children need."
After listening to more testimony, a substitute bill was adopted, allowing physicians to prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapy under specific conditions.
Those conditions include permission from the parent or guardian, the child receiving two years of therapy or counseling concerning their transition, and that the medications would not "result in an increased risk of vaginal atrophy, penile atrophy, testicular atrophy, permanent loss of libido, sterility, endometrial carcinoma, or polycystic ovary syndrome."
Ohio is one of many states attempting to pass bills limiting gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Earlier this month, the Florida Medical Board voted to restrict physicians from providing gender-affirming care to minors or risk losing their licenses.
The Texas legislator has introduced multiple bills this week, Transgender awareness week, including legislation that would label gender-affirming care to minors as "child abuse."
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