Ohio board stands by disqualification of trans candidate, even though others are allowed to run
A county board in Ohio has refused to reconsider the disqualification of Vanessa Joy, a transgender state House candidate who omitted her former name from circulating petitions.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A county board in Ohio has refused to reconsider the disqualification of a transgender state House candidate who omitted her former name from circulating petitions, even as other transgender candidates have been cleared for the ballot.
The Stark County Board of Elections said in a statement Friday that it stands by its decision to disqualify Vanessa Joy, a real estate photographer from Massillon, Ohio, because she did not put a name that no longer aligns with her gender identity — also referred to as a deadname — on the petitions used to gather signatures to get on the ballot. State law mandates that candidates disclose any name changes from the past five years on their petitions, with exemptions for changes resulting from marriage.
The law, meant to weed out bad actors, is unknown even to many elections officials, and it isn’t listed in the 33-page candidate requirement guide. Additionally, there is no space on the petitions to list former names.
Vanessa Joy.Vanessa Joy via APJoy said she’s frustrated by the county board’s decision and that, for now, her campaign is over. However, she said she is working with an attorney to try to change the law to be more inclusive of transgender candidates who don’t want to disclose their previous names for personal safety reasons, among others.
“I’m out of the race, but I’m not out of the fight,” Joy told The Associated Press on Monday.
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