Ohio
Riley Gaines testifies in support of Ohio bill blocking trans athletes and gender-affirming care – Ohio Capital Journal
A former University of Kentucky swimmer who has been very outspoken against competing and sharing a locker room with transgender athlete Lia Thomas testified in support of a bill that would prevent trans athletes from participating in Ohio women’s sports.
Riley Gaines told the Ohio Senate Government Oversight Committee how her and Thomas both had a time of 1:43.40 during the 200-yard championship freestyle in 2022 — resulting in a tie for fifth place.
“Yet, NCAA officials told me that the trophy belonged to Thomas,” Gaines said in her testimony. “The officials claimed this was necessary for public relations. I was shocked. I felt betrayed and belittled, reduced to a photo-op. But my feelings did not matter. What mattered to the NCAA were the feelings of a biological male.”
In addition to the trans athlete ban, House Bill 68 would also block doctors from providing gender-affirming care to trans youth, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy. The bill would ban physicians from performing gender reassignment surgery on a minor, but many opponents have testified that no Ohio children’s hospital currently performs gender-affirming surgery on those under 18.
Gender-affirming care is supported by every major medical organization in the United States.
Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, is the sponsor of HB 68, which passed the House in June.
Nineteen people submitted proponent testimony and some talked about the physical differences between men and women.
“Science tells us that, on average, male bodies have about a 10% athletic advantage over female bodies,” said May Mailman, a senior fellow with Independent Women’s Law Center.
Lia Thomas
Gaines was not the only person to talk about Thomas during her testimony during Tuesday’s committee meeting.
Cynthia Millen, a former USA Swimming official who resigned in protest over Thomas competing, also spoke in support of HB 68.
“I felt that was wrong,” she said. “Everything in swimming is based on fairness. … it just went against everything that I had ever loved about swimming.”
Thomas was the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship and has wound up in the center of a national debate over who can compete in women’s sports.
Previously, Thomas competed on Penn’s men’s swimming team for three seasons before joining the women’s team.
“The inclusion of male athletes in women’s sports not only takes opportunities from female players,” Gaines said. “It puts women and girls at greater risk of injury.”
Transgender athletes in Ohio
There were only six transgender high school female student athletes in Ohio, the Capital Journal previously reported in the spring.
Under the Ohio High School Athletic Association, if a trans girl wants to play on a team with cis girls, she must go through hormone treatments for at least one year or show no physical or physiological advantages.
HB 68 would prevent males from playing female sports, but everyone would still be able to play on co-ed teams.
Gender affirming care
Detransitioner Richard Anumene started identifying as a transgender woman in 2014 and had facial feminization surgery in November 2020 and vaginoplasty in March 2021. However, in July 2021, Anumene regretted the surgeries and began detransitioning.
“It has ruined my life,” Anumene said. “I can’t reverse my vaginoplasty or facial feminization surgery, and the consequences of these surgeries are permanent. The realization of what had been done to me led to unprecedented mental breakdowns and substance abuse to try to alleviate my mental distress.”
Corinna Cohn, now 48, started estrogen treatments at 18 and had sex reassignment surgery at 19.
“I have gained numerous insights over the past thirty years, with perhaps the most critical being that children lack the capacity to envision their adult desires and wellbeing accurately,” Cohn said. “It is our moral obligation to protect the well-being of Ohio’s gender-diverse youth and ensure that they receive the care and consideration they deserve.”
Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on Twitter.
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Ohio
Who should be College GameDay’s guest picker for Ohio State vs. Indiana football? Here are options
COLUMBUS — ESPN is sending College GameDay to Columbus for Saturday’s battle between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Indiana.
Making the trip to a matchup between two of the best teams in the college football was likely an easy decision for College GameDay.
Now, a tougher choice awaits. Who will be the celebrity guest picker?
ESPN has a variety of routes it can take.
It could pursue a former Ohio State player now in the NFL.
Justin Fields, a backup quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers whose team plays on Thursday in Cleveland, is an option. Wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, who are both on a bye, could also be available.
ESPN could pursue a non-athlete with connections to OSU.
That brings Columbus natives such as Olympic gymnast Simone Biles or restaurateur Guy Fieri into the conversation.
We asked Subtext subscribers on the cleveland.com Ohio State channel who they’d like to see as the guest picker. Here are some options they presented.
Former Ohio State football players
Justin Fields
Fields spent two seasons (2019-2020) as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. He went 20-2 with 5,373 passing yards.
Jim Tressel
Tressel spent 10 seasons as Ohio State’s coach, highlighted by the 2002 campaign in which he led the Buckeyes to a national championship.
A.J. Hawk
Hawk is a former Ohio State linebacker (2002-2005). He has a connection to ESPN as a co-host on the Pat McAfee Show. McAfee is among the panelists on College GameDay.
Garrett Wilson and/or Chris Olave
Wilson played for the Buckeyes (2019-2021) before he was taken by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Jets are off this week.
The Saints, Olave’s team, are also off — giving ESPN and option to bring both on the show. In a 2020 win against Indiana, Olave and Wilson combined for 270 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave played together at Ohio State before pursuing the NFL.AP
Archie Griffin
The Buckeyes celebrated the 50th anniversary of Griffin’s first Heisman by unveiling a statue outside of Ohio Stadium in August. He’s the only two-time Heisman winner.
Cris Carter
OSU receiver Jeremiah Smith has spent all season breaking Carter’s freshman receiving records. The former Buckeye also spent time working at ESPN on Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown.
Cam Heyward
Like Fields, Heyward is a former Buckeye now with the Steelers. Pittsburgh plays at Cleveland on Thursday, giving Heyward an uncommon Saturday off in November.
Orlando Pace
Pace was a two-time unanimous All-American during his time at Ohio State (1994-1996). The former offensive tackle was a Heisman finalist in 1996.
Braxton Miller
Miller, a former Ohio State quarterback (2011-2015), was twice named the Big Ten’s most valuable player.
Cardale Jones
Jones was the third-string quarterback for Ohio State entering the 2014 season with Miller as the starter. However, injuries to Miller and J.T. Barrett forced Jones into the starting role. He helped lead the Buckeyes to a national title.
Cardale Jones helped lead Ohio State football to a national title in 2014.AP
Craig Krenzel
Krenzel was the starting quarterback for Ohio State’s 2002 national championship team.
Maurice Clarett
Clarett was also part of the Ohio State team in 2002, delivering one of the best freshman seasons in program history. The running back has been a fixture around the Buckeyes this season.
Celebrities with connections to Ohio or Ohio State
JD Vance
Vance was elected earlier this month to serve as the next Vice President alongside Donald Trump. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State.
Simone Biles
Biles has collected seven Olympic gold medals in her decorated career. Her football fandom is evident too as she’s married to Bears safety Jonathan Owens.
Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio.cleveland.com
Guy Fieri
Fieri is a famous restaurateur known for his shows on Food Network. He was born in Columbus in 1968.
Jason Day
Day, a professional golfer, won the PGA Championship in 2015. He was born in Australia but lives in Westerville, Ohio.
Bryce Harper
Harper, a star for the Philadelphia Phillies, is from Nevada and didn’t attend Ohio State. However, his wife played soccer for the Buckeyes.
J.K. Simmons
Simmons spent much of his childhood living in Worthington, Ohio. The actor is known for his role in various films, including, “Whiplash” which earned him an Oscar in 2014.—
R.L. Stine
Stines is the writer of the novel series, “Goosebumps.” He was born in Columbus and attended Ohio State.
Greg Oden
Oden is a native of Indiana who attended Ohio State before becoming the top pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Greg Oden played basketball at Ohio State for one season before becoming the top pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buster Douglas
Douglas is a decorated former heavyweight boxer. He was born in Columbus.
Matt Rife
Rife is a comedian and actor who was born in North Lewisburg, Ohio.
Graham Rahal and/or Bobby Rahal
The Rahal name is famous around racing. Graham Rahal was born in Columbus and is an Ohio State fan. His father, Bobby Rahal, is a former Indy 500 champion (1986) who was born in Medina, Ohio.
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots, which features Columbus natives Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, once stopped a concert in 2021 to watch an Ohio State game.
John Legend
Legend, a singer and songwriter, was born in Springfield, Ohio.
Jack Nicklaus
Former professional golfer Jack Nicklaus attended Ohio State. His 18 major championships are most all-time.
Gene Smith
Smith serves as Ohio State’s athletic director for 19 years before retiring in June.
Patricia Heaton
Heaton attended Ohio State and was born in Bay Village, Ohio. She’s an Emmy-winning actress who appeared in shows such as, “Everybody Loves Raymond” and, “The Middle.”
Jake Paul
Paul, a YouTuber and boxer who recently beat Mike Tyson, is a Cleveland native.
BETHEL, Ohio — Two people were killed and another person was injured in a house explosion Tuesday in southwest Ohio.
The explosion occurred just before 9 a.m. The power of the blast scattered debris throughout the neighborhood, reports say.
Bethel-Tate Fire Chief Christopher Cooper tells WLWT Channel 5 that a man and woman died in the blast. An injured male, whom witnesses say was a heating repair worker, was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with burn injuries, WLWT reports.
The home was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, WCPO Channel 9 reports. The man and woman who lived in the home reportedly had several cats and at least two survived the blast, WCPO reports.
The Ohio State Fire Marshal will lead the investigation into the blast. Bethel is a village in Tate Township in southwestern Ohio.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)
Home explosion kills two in Clermont County
The Bethel-Tate Fire Department responded to a home explosion with heavy fire and smoke that killed two, according the fire chief.
Two people are dead and one person is injured after a house exploded and caught on fire in Ohio.
The house, located in Bethel, about 40 miles east of downtown Cincinnati, exploded around 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning, The Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. Bethel-Tate Fire Chief Christopher Cooper told the outlet reports of the explosion had come in while crews were approaching the area.
Once there, they found debris from the explosion and the house on fire. Officials confirmed that two people died as a result of the incident. Another person has been taken to a local hospital with burn injuries.
Cooper also said that crews are currently working on finding the source of the explosion, with neighboring homes suffering minor damages.
Photos show the explosion aftermath
Photos from the site show the smoldering remains of the house following the explosion with some of the house’s belongings being strewn across the area.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
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