State Rep. Gary Click is leading the charge against trans rights in Ohio & we all need to fight back

Ohio state Rep. Gary Click (R) has made both state and national headlines for his hostility to trans folks – a hostility found in both the policies he supports as well as his career history.

Representing District 88, near Toledo, Click was elected to his position as a political novice. He had a previous run in 2016 for Sandusky County Commissioner but has spent most of his career as a Baptist pastor. He presents as an approachable, comforting figure, a front that exists in stark contrast to his role in sponsoring the most prominent anti-trans bills in Ohio.

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From the moment Click’s political career began, it has been steeped in controversy. He was accused of betraying his prior allies and using the campaign trail for his own personal gain, claimed his election opponent spent campaign money on “robo-donors,” and became entangled in a lawsuit with another Republican over defamation claims. 

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In a statement to LGBTQ Nation, Click said, “It has been well-established that the lawsuits were politically motivated. The plaintiff failed to provide discovery or appear for a deposition and dropped the lawsuit the day before the election.”

Click ran his campaign as a conservative everyman, billing himself as a pro-life and pro-gun candidate in comparison to his more progressive Democratic opponent. He recieved both local and statewide endorsements, including from Gov. Mike DeWine (R), and notably became a delegate for Donald Trump’s re-election campaign in 2020. The majority of those who contributed to his campaign were blue collar worker unions and organizations, such as the political arm of the International Union of Operating Engineers and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Click remained silent on LGBTQ+ issues during his campaign, but that doesn’t mean he was neutral. In 2016, he gave a sermon in which, among other things, he compared LGBTQ+ people to Nazis and Satan, said queer folk were against “God’s plan” for families, and even admitted to assisting with conversion therapy practices in his time. 

In his statement to LGBTQ Nation, Click claimed that “in that very sermon, I was critical of others who use derogatory language in speaking about anyone in the LGBTQ community ‘in the name of religion.’” 

But he then admitted that in the sermon, “I do affirm the biblical viewpoint on human sexuality… Holding those views is nothing new to society and can and should be done in a respectful and kind manner. Holding different points of view does not necessitate hate or divisiveness unless others are simply intolerant of opposing views. I have deep appreciation for my gay, lesbian, and trans friends, and quite honestly our differences rarely come up in conversation.”

The videos, however, speak for themselves.

Click launched his political career in large part based on the connections he made as a pastor, working with his local community to build his reputation. Part of this community building involved his sermons, which were instrumental in communicating his deeply held beliefs to his future constituents – though of course, not all of them were privy to this information. 

This is part of the problem: Click has managed to maintain a positive reputation among both colleagues and constituents, only recently facing attacks from the mainstream media. He has long flown under the radar and avoided any form of accountability, and if he isn’t more strongly opposed by the public, he’ll continue to push forward more transphobic legislation .

Click’s bigotry has only become more vitriolic since his early days. In 2021, he worked with several Republican colleagues to introduce House Bill 454, also known as the “Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act.” This bill would have made it illegal for minors to receive gender-affirming care from medical professionals, including things like hormone replacement therapy and puberty blockers. It would have overridden the ability to get parental consent for such care and charged doctors with “unprofessional conduct,” allowing citizens to sue them over providing this care.

Click told LGBTQ Nation that gender-affirming care bans are “about medical ethics and protecting the LGBTQ community from misinformation and abuse. I was very proud of the diverse coalition of supporters including gays, lesbians, and trans folks who believe that minors are not capable of providing informed consent. Adults, on the other hand, are more well-equipped to consider the risks and benefits of this experimental type of medicine. That is why this bill is limited to minors.”

It was also revealed in a conversation between Click and transgender rights activist Cam Ogden that Click did not consult with any transgender individuals before introduciung this bill. Instead, he worked with conservative Christian organizations, basing it on their perceptions of transgender folks. The Center for Christian Virtue specifically approached Click to ask him to sponsor this bill.

HB 454 was defeated in the House on December 31, 2022. This did not stop Click, however, as he then threw his support behind two more anti-trans bills, House Bills 8 and 68.

House Bill 8, also known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights, is a bill that would require schools to notify parents when teaching anything relating to “sexuality content” or “gender identity.” This bill has passed the Ohio House and would eliminate any privacy that LGBTQ+ students may have in a school setting. It would effectively out any closeted LGBTQ+ children to their parents, and would allow parents to opt their children out of any potential LGBTQ+ educational content that they may receive.

Click said House Bill 8 “ensures that the government does not come in between parents and their children. It is presumptuous for educators to believe that they have a higher interest in a child’s well-being than their parents.”

While Click was not a primary sponsor of the bill, he was among a group of Republicans who co-sponsored it.

Click was, however, the primary sponsor for House Bill 68, a bill which initially began as House Bill 6, or the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” before being amended into its current form. Also known as the “Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act,” this bill would both ban minors from participating in a sport that aligns with their gender identity and prohibit minors from receiving gender-affirming medical care. It would also impose restrictions on minors getting diagnosed with gender dysphoria if they have comorbid mental health diagnoses.

Effectively, in both name and action, this bill is a revamped version of House Bill 454. It has since been passed by the Ohio House. If this bill becomes law, it will prevent so many trans youth from being able to exist as who they are. While Click may characterize these bills as simply about medical ethics, they’re in actuality about restricting trans rights and making it harder for us to exist.

Click has also sponsored House Bill 113, which would designate March 12 as ‘Detrans Awareness Day.’ This has been mirrored by other prominent anti-trans organizations, such as Genspect.

Yet, in regards to his perspective on LGBTQ+ rights, Click told LGBTQ Nation, “I believe that every American enjoys equal rights. However, no one has the right to compel speech in others that is contrary to their own conscience or belief.”

Click also has numerous Republican colleagues who frequently work with him on his legislation, including Republican Reps. Jena Powell, D.J. Swearingen, Sara P. Cuthers, and Scott Wiggam. 

When Wiggam was recently caught on video shoving a trans rights protestor, Click claimed on Twitter that the protester had actually assaulted Wiggam. When Twitter users pointed out the discrepancy of what Click claimed based on the visible evidence, he further claimed he was merely speaking truthfully on the matter.

But Click hasn’t gone completely unopposed. His bills have received pushback from progressive policymakers like Rep. Ismail Mohamed (D), who has stood up for LGBTQ+ people despite conservative threats and attacks. There has also been some organized outreach action by groups like the ACLU. There have also been direct protests. 

But more action is needed, as Click still holds strong sway over the Republican-dominated Ohio house. We need more organized outreach, and more constituents to become aware of what he’s doing so he can be voted out. Above all else, we need more protests – direct action from trans people and our allies who oppose what he and his colleagues are doing to us.

Click needs to be held accountable. He is part of a national movement that is causing major harm to trans folks. If he isn’t opposed, he’ll continue emboldening far-right actors, hate groups, and anti-trans politicians nationwide.

Click’s political efforts, among other anti-trans politicians, need to be loudly and actively opposed – the safety of trans people throughout the country depends on it.