"Jeopardy!" star Amy Schneider to testify against Ohio's anti-trans bill
Amy Schneider attends the victory of Serena Williams at the U.S. Open 2022 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2022 in New York City. Photo: Jean Catuffe via Getty Images
"Jeopardy!" legend Amy Schneider will testify Wednesday in the Ohio state legislature against a bill that would ban gender-affirming health care for minors in Ohio.
The big picture: Ohio is one of several states that have attempted to restrict access to gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth amid a wider slew of anti-trans legislation, even though medical associations like the American Medical Association oppose such measures and say that trans and nonbinary gender identities are "normal variations of human identity and expression."
- The bill in question would bar access to puberty-blocking drugs, hormone therapy and gender confirmation surgeries for people under 18.
What she's saying: Schneider, the first trans contestant to make it to the Tournament of Champions and the first woman in the history of the game show to surpass $1 million in winnings, has been outspoken about her identity and is seen as an icon for the LGBTQ community.
- "It’s so important that LGBTQ+ Ohioans and those who love them fight to protect the children whose health and safety would be endangered by this misguided legislation," Schneider, an Ohio native, said in a statement through the LGBTQ advocacy and legal aid organization Equality Ohio.
Worth noting: Three major medical groups urged the Justice Department last month to investigate increasing threats of violence against children's hospitals and physicians that provide gender-affirming care to trans youth.
Go deeper... Poll: Most LGBTQ kids' mental health negatively impacted by anti-trans legislation