Ohio transgender candidate is disqualified over obscure name change law

A transgender candidate’s journey to the Ohio statehouse faced an unexpected roadblock after she was told she couldn’t appear on the ballot.

Vanessa Joy, set to run to represent the Democratic Party for House District 50 in Stark County, encountered a legal challenge because of an obscure law regarding name changes on candidacy petitions. Joy, among at least four transgender individuals running for state representative positions in Ohio, was disqualified because she only used her legal name on the petitions, omitting her deadname, Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS reports.

"I would have had to have my deadname on my petitions," Joy exxplained. "But in the trans community, our deadnames are dead; there's a reason it's dead — that is a dead person who is gone and buried."

The law, dating back to the 1990s, mandates that candidates list any name changes within the past five years on their signature petitions.

Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.

Case Western Reserve University elections law professor Atiba Ellis noted the importance of such disclosures for public vetting, but the lack of awareness and guidance about this requirement has raised concerns, according to the station.

"It would be fair for the candidate to disclose their identity including prior names so that the people and their representatives in the state government would be able to vet that person and know exactly who they are," Ellis told WEWS. "If it is selectively enforced, that raises the question of whether the use of such provisions would be discriminatory."

Trending stories

JD Vance ruthlessly mocked after everyone in Greenland refused to welcome wife Usha Vance

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

Where to stay in LGBTQ+ Ireland: Castles, domes and luxury retreats

The Charles is Pacific Grove's new LGBTQ+ hotel

Watch: In gay period romance 'Lilies Not For Me,' playful wrestling turns sensual (exclusive)

Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

Discover the power of Wellness in your life

Alan Cumming jumps for joy after major 'Avengers: Doomsday' casting news

Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources

'Mid-Century Modern': Celebrate Linda Lavin's most iconic roles

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

Discover why chic Costa Navarino is Europe's luxury getaway

​6 lesbian films coming we can't wait to see in 2025

Cowboys & Queens U.S. tour by Jane Hilton: A modern American dream

In 'Mid-Century Modern,' the 'gay Avengers' assemble for needed comic relief

Nathan Lee Graham wants 'Mid-Century Modern's queer viewers to 'lean into the joy'

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

SFAF's Dr. Tyler TerMeer says he'll continue to fight for health care for all

Matt Bomer, as a 'Mid-Century Modern' ditz, can finally 'experience queer joy'

Bob the Drag Queen shades Mistress Isabelle Brooks’ weight loss: 'Girl, you have to get new pads'

In 'Survival of the Thickest,' queer joy and activism are one and the same

From rock legends to Pride flags: Discover the vibrant LGBTQ+ scene in Asbury Park

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

Joy, who legally changed her name and provided the necessary documentation to the county board, expressed frustration over the need for clear instructions regarding this rule in the candidate guide.

"Something that is that important should have been on the instructions," she told the station. "It should have been on the petition."

Deadnaming transgender people is harmful and invalidates their identities, advocacy groups point out.

Human Rights Campaign national press secretary Brandon Wolf was highly critical of the developments in Ohio in a statement to The Advocate.

“It is a travesty that this policy is stripping Vanessa Joy of the opportunity to run and serve her community,” Wolf said. “The legislature has already recognized that there are legitimate reasons for changing names, including marriage, that do not require disclosure. Revealing a transgender person’s deadname is harmful and can put them in danger. This disqualification should be reversed, and Vanessa Joy should have the chance to campaign for her community’s support as her authentic self.”

According to WEWS, the petition lacks a designated section for this information and is also absent from the 2024 candidate guide issued by the secretary of state. This omission isn’t new, as it has been missing from candidate guides for several years. WEWS attempted to contact the office for further clarification, particularly regarding the absence of the name change requirement in the 33-page guide but received no response.

The situation not only affects Joy but also places other transgender candidates in a state of uncertainty. While two other trans candidates who didn’t include their former names were certified, Joy had until Friday to appeal the decision, which she did, according to the New York Times.

Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS reports that she subsequently lost that appeal.

Joy told the Times that she would challenge the decision in court.