In a surprising turn of events, Democrat Vanessa Joy has been disqualified from the Ohio state house race due to a little-known state law that requires candidates to provide any name changes within the past five years. This disqualification has raised concerns about potential barriers faced by transgender candidates across the nation. Joy, a transgender woman, had gathered enough signatures to appear on the ballot and was running in response to proposed restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights in Ohio.

Vanessa Joy was one of four transgender candidates running for state office in Ohio, specifically in house district 50, which is a heavily Republican district in Stark County. Her opponent in the race was Republican candidate Matthew Kishman. Joy had legally changed her name and birth certificate in 2022, and she claims to have provided this information to the Stark County Board of Elections for the primary race on March 19th.

However, on Tuesday, Joy discovered that the 1990s state law required her to disclose any name changes within the last five years in order to qualify for the ballot. Unfortunately, this law is not currently listed on the candidate requirement guidelines on the Ohio Secretary of State's website, so Joy was unaware of its existence. Joy faced a dilemma because providing her former name would mean using her deadname, a term used by the transgender community to refer to the name given at birth, which does not align with their gender identity. Many transgender individuals have valid reasons for not wanting to share their deadname, including concerns about personal safety.

Joy expressed her frustration, stating that if she had known about the requirement to include her deadname on her petitions, she would have done so because being elected was important to her. However, she acknowledged that for many transgender individuals, this requirement would be a barrier to entry into politics. Joy emphasized the danger of using her deadname, stating that it is a name that is no longer a part of her identity.

The Ohio Secretary of State's office and the Stark County Board of Elections did not respond immediately to requests for comment. It remains unclear if this law has been applied to any current or previous state lawmakers. Rick Hasen, a professor at UCLA School of Law and an election expert, acknowledged that while requiring candidates to disclose any name changes can serve a purpose, it poses problems in Ohio. Hasen suggested that the disclosure of former names could be relevant if a candidate had a history of criminal activity.

Sean Meloy, the vice president of political programs for LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, expressed concern about the selective enforcement of this law. He stated that he is unaware of any tracking efforts to determine how many states require name changes in petition paperwork. Meloy highlighted the increasing restrictions on transgender people in many states, including limitations on access to gender-affirming care and restrictions on bathroom usage and participation in sports teams for trans children and students.

Meloy argued that some conservatives are attempting to silence transgender voices. He pointed to the case of Zooey Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker who was blocked from speaking on Montana's House floor after refusing to apologize for criticizing colleagues who supported a ban on gender-affirming care. Meloy stated that with the resurgence of anti-trans legislation, it appears that this disqualification of Vanessa Joy is a selectively enforced action to prevent another transgender individual from entering politics.

Vanessa Joy has appealed her disqualification and is currently seeking legal representation. She plans to fight to change Ohio's law, recognizing that this issue may have far-reaching implications for the transgender community. Joy expressed her concern that this could be the start of a snowball effect, with similar disqualifications occurring in other states. She described the news of her disqualification as “horrible” for the trans community.