Ohio's two openly transgender elected officials recently released a joint statement in support of Democratic candidate for governor Amy Acton, even though both remain concerned about comments Acton made this summer regarding transgender girls in sports.
The statement came from Dion Manley, a Gahanna-Jefferson school board member, and Amy Heutmaker, a Russell Township trustee in Geauga County.
Acton told the Toledo Blade in June that she doesn’t support "boys playing in girls sports," and that she would uphold Ohio’s ban on this issue if she's elected governor.
"I still have concerns about what she said in June, equating trans girls with being boys. I think that's a divide issue that the Republicans are feeding into," Heutmaker said. "And Dr. Acton and her team fell right into it. I do not support those statements. I felt personally dehumanized by them."
"But at the same time, looking around at the options that we have for governor here in the state, I think a Vivek Ramaswamy governorship is going to continue to do more and further harm to the trans community here in Ohio," Heutmaker said.
Heutmaker has reached out to Acton's campaign.
"I sent them an email in July. I did not receive a reply. I'm hopeful that I will have an opportunity to speak with somebody from her campaign or Dr. Acton herself next week as she's scheduled to be here in Geauga County," Heutmaker said.
Manley had no comment on the joint statement.
The statement, released in September, said Acton's comments "deeply hurt."
"We understand the pain those words caused at a time when transgender Ohioans, particularly young people, continue to face political and legislative attacks on their healthcare, participation in public life and basic dignity," the statement said.
"We expect Dr. Acton to listen to transgender Ohioans, learn from this moment, and demonstrate through both policy and leadership that every Ohioan belongs in our state," the statement said.
"Our support for her does not require us to pretend the June remarks did not happen. Nor does holding her accountable require us to ignore the broader choice Ohio voters face. There are substantial differences between the candidates on issues affecting Ohio families and communities, including affordability, healthcare, education, property taxes, LGBTQ+ rights, public safety, and the regulation of rapidly expanding data centers," the statement said.
WOSU reached out to the Acton campaign for comment. Ohio Democratic Party Spokesperson Marisa Nahem responded on behalf of the campaign:
“The Ohio Democratic Party is united in our support for Dr. Amy Acton and laser-focused on her agenda to lower costs, take on the corruption that has run rampant under Republican politicians, and build an Ohio where all of us can thrive. Despite attempts to divide us, Ohio Democrats, Republicans, and Independents are joining with Dr. Acton because they know that she is the only candidate who will lower costs for Ohio families and grow our state.”
In a statement, Ramaswamy campaign spokesperson Evan Machan said: "Vivek believes every Ohioan deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. His focus is on what brings people together: lowering costs, delivering bigger paychecks through good-paying jobs, unleashing Ohio energy, and giving every child a great education. That’s his focus."
