ACLU of Ohio Condemns House Votes on Bills Banning Drag and Restricting Abortion
March 25, 2026 5:14 pm
The ACLU of Ohio condemns the House passage of HB 249 and HB 347, bills that infringe on Ohioans’ right to free speech and bodily autonomy. These bills violate our civil liberties and prioritize partisan politics over smart policy ahead of the May primary.
Specifically, HB 249 will effectively ban most drag performances in Ohio. As our Legislative Director Gary Daniels pointed out in his opponent testimony, the so-called Indecent Exposure Modernization Act is full of vague, overbroad, and nonsensical provisions that can be easily contorted, twisted, and misapplied. Indecent exposure is already illegal under existing Ohio law; there is no need to “modernize” the law. Further, drag is protected speech just like any other art form. Dance, fashion, and music are all protected by the First Amendment. This bill is yet another attempt to silence and censor the LGBTQ community by denying drag performers their constitutional right to free expression.
In addition, HB 347 would effectively impose a 24-hour waiting period for abortion care, a requirement that would blatantly violate the Bill of Rights in the Ohio Constitution, specifically the Ohio Reproductive Freedom Amendment. Moreover, this restriction has already been struck down in court. Our Constitution is clear: lawmakers may not burden, penalize, or discriminate against people accessing abortion care.
The ACLU of Ohio will continue to fight these bills in the Senate.
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