Board of Trustees Update:
Resolution Opposing Ohio BMV Policy Change
The Board of Trustees recently passed Resolution No. 0926-02, authorizing First UU to add our church’s signature to the TransOhio coalition letter opposing a recent Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) policy change.
In August 2026, the Ohio BMV discontinued the “Declaration of Gender Change” form, removing an accessible path for transgender Ohioans to correct the sex marker on their driver’s licenses and state identification cards. As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We recognize that inaccurate identification directly threatens the safety, privacy, and well-being of transgender individuals.
This policy change escalates risks during routine traffic stops and creates harmful, unnecessary hurdles to accessing healthcare, employment, housing, insurance, and the right to vote. Our state justice network, Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio (UUJO), alongside advocacy groups like TransOhio, has mobilized a coordinated response to oppose this bureaucratic overreach.
Through this Resolution, the Board authorized our Co-Chairs to sign the multi-organizational letter on behalf of First UU, formally registering our protest with the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Ohio BMV General Counsel, Governor Mike DeWine, and members of the Ohio General Assembly.
We encourage you to view the letter to join these advocacy efforts and to offer mutual support to those in our community directly impacted by this policy. |
