Ohio Democrats in close races in this year’s midterms are taking stances on LGBTQ+ rights that are angering some of the party’s base.
The backlash is raising questions about whether members of the queer community will grit their teeth and vote for candidates like Amy Acton and Toledo Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, stay home or vote for a third party.
At a September voter registration event at Stonewall Columbus in the Short North, LGBTQ+ voters said they are frustrated with candidates attacking the transgender community.
Marina Rivera, a young transgender woman, and local DJ and drag performer, said she isn’t a single-issue voter on LGBTQ+ rights. But the importance of policy decisions on her life and the broader community can’t be overstated.
"It could be life or death for a lot of people and especially trans people," Rivera said.
Rivera pointed to recent law changes, like Ohio law defining that there are only two genders. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles recently changed its policy allowing transgender people to use a certain form to change their gender identity on a driver's license.
Chad Ragan, a gay man, just moved to Bexley from out of state. Ragan described himself as an independent voter and wants candidates to support LGBTQ+ rights, while also agreeing with him on important foreign policy issues such as support for Palestinians as Israel continues bombing Gaza.
"I struggle with this because I know trans people, but it seems like a very small population to...to throw the baby out with the bathwater," Ragan said.
Ragan said he's voted third party before in presidential races when he's disagreed with candidates on important issues.
Democratic candidates adopt rhetoric that prompts backlash from LGBTQ+ and party groups
Democrats like Acton, the party’s candidate in Ohio’s closely watched governor’s race, are being hammered with political mailers and TV ads claiming they support gender-affirming care for minors or support trans athletes playing in sports that match their gender identity. Similar dynamics are playing out across the country, where candidates in states like Iowa are also adopting stances on LGBTQ+ issues that the community dislikes.
In a statement, the Human Rights Campaign criticized Democrats who have adopted these positions, warning that turning on a vulnerable community is not a winning political strategy and legitimizes opposition rhetoric while weakening enthusiasm among LGBTQ+ voters nationwide.
"It won’t win votes. But it does harm transgender people–and it can weaken enthusiasm among an LGBTQ+ voting population that represents 12% of U.S. adults and strongly supports trans rights," spokesperson Laura Powell said in a statement.
In response to political attacks, former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown released an ad that the New York Times reports suggests Republicans' focus on trans issues is irrelevant compared to other issues like the economy. Brown’s race against Sen. Jon Husted is considered a toss-up by election forecasters like the Cook Political Report.
Toledo Rep. Marcy Kaptur is taking a much different approach with her ad, where she decried "transgender ideology" and said she opposed "boys playing in girls sports."
Kaptur drew sharp criticism from local Democratic groups following a recent television advertisement. In a letter sent to the congresswoman's office, the Lucas County Stonewall Democrats condemned her rhetoric, calling on her campaign to immediately take down the ad and arguing there was no difference between Kaptur and her opponent, Republican Derek Merrin, on LGBTQ+ issues.
Acton told the Toledo Blade earlier this year that she doesn’t support "boys playing in girls sports." She said she would uphold Ohio’s ban on this as governor, though it would impact fewer than 20 student athletes in the state.
The comments prompted backlash from within her own party.
Kyle Herman, the chair of the Ohio Democratic Party's Pride Caucus, told the Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau he wanted Acton to clarify her remarks after she appeared to adopt rhetoric that misgendered trans girls, urging her to speak authentically from the heart.
Following her comments, the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Ohio changed Acton's grade to a B.
Like Brown and Kaptur, Acton is in a tight race against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. He has made clear he doesn't support the transgender community. In a post on X in 2023, he called the community a cult.
WOSU reached out to Acton and Ramaswamy’s campaigns for this story for weeks without receiving a response.
Acton didn't answer questions explaining her stances on other issues impacting the queer community, like Ohio’s constitutional ban on gay marriage or proposed bans on drag performances.
Acton also hasn’t explained her absence from multiple outreach events, like a September meet-the-candidates night at Stonewall Columbus. The organization told WOSU she was invited, but it never received a response from Acton's campaign.
After the comments to the Toledo Blade in June, her campaign organized a call with LGBTQ+ activists, but Acton didn't attend the call herself.
Acton's campaign website has a section titled "Standing up for Ohio's LGBT community" where she outlines support for anti-discrimination laws that would prevent discrimination with jobs, housing and other public accommodations.
LGBTQ+ political scientist warns stances could reduce critical turnout
Susan Burgess is an Ohio University distinguished professor emerita of political science who studies LGBTQ politics. Burgess, who is lesbian, said it is possible these stances could turn off certain single-issue voters.
"If you’re a trans person or if you are a person who loves a trans person, or if you even just care about trans issues, you have every reason to be concerned about these kinds of stances that people take," Burgess said.
Gallup polls find more than 9% of people in the United States identify with the LGBTQ+ community.
Burgess said that number doesn't capture the full voting power of the LGBTQ+ community because it may not include some who may be closeted and the numerous friends, family members and allies who support queer people in their lives.
Burgess said upwards of 80% of the queer community are regular voters, which is a higher rate compared to the average voter.
Burgess suggested Acton may end up being like former President Barack Obama on LGBTQ issues. Obama at first stated he was against gay marriage, but later on he came out in favor of legalizing it.
But Burgess said Acton's silence is worrying.
"I would say most people will vote for her in that category," Burgess said, "But some people will stay home and in a tight race that can mean something."
Burgess said some may also consider Libertarian candidate Don Kissick. She noted that while some queer people do vote Republican, those upset with Acton won’t consider voting for Ramaswamy.
Burgess said she thinks Republicans are targeting trans people for a few reasons. One is a fundraising appeal to organizations opposed to LGBTQ+ rights, specifically some Christian groups.
Burgess suggested this "cynical" playbook is also part of growing authoritarianism in American politics.
"There is a way of othering certain groups and trans people are very prominent amongst those groups right now," Burgess said. "(It is) to sort of make a point about one's loyalty to more authoritarian politics where the idea is to kind of purify the population."
Voters say they will still vote for candidates like Amy Acton
Rivera, the transgender woman at Stonewall Columbus, said Acton’s comments are like "a small punch to the gut," but she will likely still vote for Acton and candidates like her.
"Based on the sounds of it, I’ll still vote Amy, even with that. But I feel like that's one of those things that she might wind up saying 'let's work on this," Rivera said.
Rodney Fetveit, another voter at Stonewall Columbus, said the same and encouraged others to look past Acton’s comments and vote for her.
"What (candidates) say doesn't always match exactly what they think or are going to do," Fetveit said. "What's to say that (Acton) doesn't change over the next month or next four months to be more lenient towards that or open her mind to it."
Ragan said he'd still like to get educated about the candidates and their positions before deciding who to vote for. But for the larger LGBTQ+ population, he thinks many will still vote for Democrats.
"I think everyone felt the same way about Hillary (Clinton) and Kamala (Harris). And they are not perfect on paper and yet they expect the vote from Democrats," Ragan said.
Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin, a Democrat who is running to be the city’s first gay mayor, said he will still vote for Acton, calling her an ally to the community.
Hardin said he hopes voters understand what is at risk for queer and trans youth if Ramaswamy and other Republicans get elected.
"I think that we all will vote. Like I said, like our lives depend on it," Hardin said.
