A transgender woman running for an Ohio House seat has been disqualified for failing to disclose her former name on petitions circulated to voters, in violation of a seldom-enforced state law.
Local election officials informed Vanessa Joy, who hoped to run as a Democrat for Ohio House District 50, that she was not eligible to do so, despite having collected the signatures necessary to run.
Joy sought to run in a firmly Republican district covering Stark County, just south of Akron.
I totally get not wanting to disclose your deadname where a ton of conservative assholes will get ahold of it, but you probably should still have to report any other names you’ve gone by to get into public office.
Why? Many of the cisgendered people don’t, so why should she?
Anyone should have to to get into public office imo, not just her.
She’s definitely not who I’d start enforcing that rule on tbf, but everyone should have to I think.
Why, though? You have a solution in search of a problem here.
No deception is occuring in a legal name change. No identity is being hidden.
The rule is very old and never enforced. She’s the first.
This is the important question. I have no sympathy for the candidate not wanting to disclose the previous name - just because some people might react negatively doesn’t mean they get to hide their past
…… assuming it’s equally applied. If it’s true that other are not held to the same standard, that the requirement wasn’t communicated or known, or there is no chance to fix it before the election, that’s BS
Again, who’s hiding? Legal name changes are public records. No one is hiding. You have a solution in search of a problem.
I would never seek to justify every law. I’m sure many are bogus.
However if it only applies to one person, or is some ancient thing long forgotten brought back for one person, it is clearly discriminatory and should be invalid, regardless of whether it had any merit to begin with
A law that cannot be justified is definitionally unjust.