As a voter, I want to hear where my candidates stand on the issues. When I cast my ballot, I want to be an informed voter. I don’t want to rely on just an “R” or a “D” next to candidate names to decide whether they deserve my vote. To do so I’ve always turned to the non-partisan League of Women’s Voters Voter’s Guide or watched a candidate debate or forum. With the Supreme Court consistently allowing voting rights, civil rights and reproductive rights legislation to be determined at the State level, who represents me at the local level is more important than ever before. Imagine my disappointment after typing in my address in Vote411.org to view the Voter’s Guide to find that only half the candidates had completed the questionnaire.
Glaringly missing, was the incumbent candidate for House District 75, Haraz Ghanbari. As I drive my daughter across the county to cross country meets, I notice the giant “Haraz” signs along the way. Who is Haraz? I wondered. Thus, I wanted to learn more about what this candidate has done so far for my district. It was disheartening to find that he didn’t have the time to answer these questions nor attend the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum. The Candidate Forum gives regular people, who can’t afford to go to expensive fund-raising events, the chance to ask questions and hear from the candidates. By declining to attend, his opponent Jan Materni was prevented from participating as well. League policy requires both candidates to be in attendance at Candidate Forums. Not only did the voters of Wood County not get to hear where Ghanbari stands on important issues, but we were also deprived of hearing where Materni stands on the issues important to us. How is this democracy?
To learn more about Ghanbari, I turned to his record at the State House thus far. Having a daughter that plays high school sports, where he stands on HB 61, the so called “Save Women’s Sports Act” is important to me. Ghanbari voted FOR HB 61 as an amendment to SB 187, which he co-sponsored. He voted for this bill again as an amendment to HB 151 this past June. No wonder he didn’t want to participate in the Candidates Forum to face the voters in Wood Co.
This bill would harm women’s sports far more than it would save it. This bill states that:
“If a participant’s sex is disputed, the participant shall establish the participant’s sex by presenting a signed physician’s statement indicating the participant’s sex based upon only the following: (1) The participant’s internal and external reproductive anatomy; (2) The participant’s normal endogenously produced levels of testosterone; (3) An analysis of the participant’s genetic makeup.”
You might not think this legislation could harm your daughters, granddaughters, nieces or the girl next door, but it absolutely can. Sure, your daughter might have attended the same school since kindergarten. Everyone knows she’s female. It’s only transgender girls, trying to get “an unfair advantage” that need to worry. Wrong. Anyone can dispute your daughter’s sex. The opposing coach, a parent of a player on the opposing team, a disgruntled teammate that’s not getting enough playing time. Anyone.
This extremist bill is meant to stir up fear for a problem that doesn’t exist. Currently in Ohio there is only one transgender female playing a varsity sport. She had to comply with OHSAA policy to compete, which states “Any transgender female that wants to play on a girls team per must “(1) have completed a minimum of one year of hormone treatment related to gender transition and/or (2) demonstrate to the Executive Director’s Office by way of sound medical evidence that she does not possess physical (bone structure, muscle mass, testosterone, hormonal, etc.) or physiological advantages over genetic females of the same age group.” OHSAA is already making sure no one has an unfair advantage.
Think about what you want for your daughter who plays sports. How humiliated would she be if she had to sit out a game because an opposing team questioned her sex? She would then have to undergo an internal exam (that could be painful to some young girls) to play, costing parents for unnecessary tests.
Ghanbari already voted for this bill TWICE, don’t give him the opportunity to try for a third time. Vote for Jan Materni for House District 75. Early voting is open now.
Shar Katzner
Bowling Green
