Buckeye Reporter

Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted recently expressed support for a bill signed by Governor Mike DeWine that mandates K-12 students use restrooms and locker rooms corresponding to their biological sex. In a recent Breitbart interview, Husted emphasized the importance of protecting privacy and safety, particularly for women and girls, in public spaces like school bathrooms.

“It’s about their privacy, their safety. You certainly don’t want to have in a public setting a restroom that a 30-year-old man can go into the same restroom as 12-year-old girls,” Husted wrote in a Dec. 9 social media post on X. 

In a recent interview on Breitbart News Saturday, Husted spoke in support of a bill signed by Gov. DeWine which requires K-12 students to use bathrooms and locker rooms matching their biological sex. Husted expressed disbelief that such laws are now necessary, citing concerns about men entering women’s spaces, including locker rooms and bathrooms, and situations where boys and girls share the same bathrooms in schools.

“I mean, this is something, as you said, it’s common sense. It’s kind of hard to believe,” Husted told Breitbart. “If you would have literally said to me ten years ago that we’ll need to pass a law saying that boys go to boys’ bathrooms and girls go to girls’ bathrooms, that would have been like, ‘Well, what in the world? Why would we need to do that?'”

According to Fox News, on Nov. 27, 2024, DeWine signed Senate Bill 104 to enact the Protect All Students Act, which mandates that public and private schools, as well as universities, designate bathrooms, locker rooms, and changing facilities based on biological sex, as recorded at birth. This bill is part of a broader trend in the U.S. where several states are passing similar laws to ensure that gender-specific facilities are segregated by biological sex. Supporters argue the bill is necessary for the safety and privacy of students. The bill was sponsored by State Senators Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) and Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware).

Husted stressed that the bill is not aimed at restricting transgender rights but at ensuring safe, gender-segregated spaces for women and girls, particularly in public settings where privacy and safety could be compromised. He argued that alternatives, like family restrooms, are available to address transgender needs without compromising the safety of others. 

“You can use those, but there is going to be a safe place for a girl to go to the bathroom or use a locker room,” he said.

According to his official bio page, Jon Husted was adopted and raised in Northwest Ohio's Williams County. He grew up with a strong foundation in faith, family, and hard work. After excelling as an All-American defensive back and earning advanced degrees from the University of Dayton, Husted contributed to economic development as vice president at the Dayton-Area Chamber of Commerce.

Husted's tenure as Secretary of State was marked by significant improvements in business processes, including reducing start-up costs and eliminating office fees, saving taxpayers millions. As House Speaker, he championed Ohio’s most conservative budget in decades with a historic income tax cut. Elected Lt. Governor in 2018, Husted continues to balance his public service with his roles as a husband to his wife Tina and father to their three children.