LGBTQ+ Ohioans Face Hostile Reception During First-Time Statehouse Testimony
First-time testifiers faced hostile questioning from Rep. Josh Williams during hearings on legislation targeting drag performances and transgender Ohioans.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — First-time testifiers at the Ohio Statehouse faced what critics called bullying behavior from lawmakers during a March 18 hearing on legislation that would ban drag performances outside adult venues.
Columbus attorney Kim Burroughs had not planned to testify before the Ohio House Judiciary Committee until she received a call from Equality Ohio asking her to oppose House Bill 249, known as “The Enact the Indecent Exposure Modernization Act.” Despite a busy week of depositions and preparing for a baby with her wife, Burroughs submitted testimony after finishing her written statement at 2 a.m. on the morning it was due.
The proposed legislation would prohibit drag and gender performances outside of “adult cabaret” venues or in any public venue where minors might be present. Although 108 Ohioans submitted written testimony, the Republican-controlled committee limited in-person testimony to just 16 people during a three-hour hearing.
Newcomers Dominate Testimony
More than half of the 16 selected testifiers were speaking at the Ohio Statehouse for their first time. These Ohioans took time off work to voice opposition to legislation they argued targets both drag performers and transgender residents.
The hearing was marked by confrontational questioning from state Rep. Josh Williams, a Republican from Sylvania Township who serves on the Judiciary Committee and co-sponsored the bill. Williams has introduced more than 100 bills in the current General Assembly while campaigning for a U.S. House of Representatives seat, including five explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ measures.
Lawmaker’s Conduct Draws Criticism
Throughout the three-hour session, Williams repeatedly claimed drag performances and performers pose dangers to children, disparaged testifiers’ employment, and displayed what observers described as disdainful behavior toward those opposing his anti-transgender positions. Williams has publicly stated that affirming transgender identity would be “harmful to society.”
Former Democratic Ohio State Representative Jodi Whitted characterized Williams’ questioning as “truly shameful behavior that is consistent with bullying.” The criticism highlights tensions between Republican lawmakers and LGBTQ+ advocates as similar legislation has emerged in statehouses across the country.
Burroughs, who serves as a board member of The Buckeye Flame, represents the growing number of LGBTQ+ Ohioans willing to engage directly with the legislative process despite facing hostile receptions from some elected officials.
