'Jeopardy!' Alum Amy Schneider Calls Ohio Trans Youth Bill 'Terrifying'

Amy Schneider has reiterated her stance against a bill in her native Ohio that would block transgender youth from access to gender-affirming treatment and surgery, and require teachers to tell parents if their children are trans.

The bill—H.B. 454 or the "Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act"—would prohibit children under the age of 18 from taking hormones, puberty blockers, and undergoing gender reassignment surgery.

It also states that medical professionals, including doctors or mental health professionals, who violate the law, could face professional discipline and civil lawsuits from the child on which the procedure was performed or from the youth's family.

If signed into law, teachers would be forbidden from withholding "from a minor's parent or legal guardian information related to [a] minor's perception that his or her gender is inconsistent with his or her sex."

Schneider, who is the first ever transgender contestant to qualify for the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, announced on Tuesday that she will be attending a hearing concerning the bill on Wednesday, alongside representatives from LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Ohio.

"The House Bill 454 would have devastating consequences for Ohio's children," Schneider told Newsweek on Tuesday.

"Passing this bill would put the lives of some children in grave danger, a danger that not all of them would survive. I hope my testimony will lend a voice to the voiceless."

On Tuesday night, Dayton-raised Schneider opted to forgo a customary post-game Jeopardy! episode breakdown now that she has returned for the Tournament of Champions.

Instead, she further explained on Twitter why she was fighting the bill.

California-based Schneider started off her Twitter thread by stating that she had "lots to say about tonight's game, but unfortunately a bigger priority has intervened. A childhood friend told me about Ohio SB 454, which would have devastating consequences for trans kids, and I'm flying to Columbus in the morning to do what I can to fight it."

"I'd rather be writing about Jeopardy! But if this bill passes, trans children in Ohio will be denied gender affirming medical care, and that is terrifying," she went on.

"So please, if you want more Jeopardy! content from me, ask your elected officials to just leave trans people alone."

"We're not trying to bother anyone," she concluded. "We're not a threat. We just want to, like, post Jeopardy! recaps on Twitter or whatever, same as anyone else. Thank you."

According to Ohio's legislature site, the bill was introduced in the statehouse in October 2021 by primary sponsors and Republicans Gary Click and Diane Grendell. The Ohio GOP retained control of both the House and the Senate after last week's midterm elections, reported the Associated Press.

Ohio's bill is similar to legislation that's been introduced or passed in several other states that aim to restrict gender-affirming care for children, including a bill introduced by Tennessee's GOP leadership last week.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Arkansas, Alabama, Texas and Arizona have already enacted such legislation and this year, 15 states are considering bills related to gender care for minors.

During her Jeopardy! run, Schneider made a huge impact, becoming the first openly transgender woman to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. She is also the highest-earning woman in Jeopardy! history, with the longest win streak.

After making her debut on the show during November 2021's Trans Awareness Week, Schneider went on to win 40 consecutive games, leaving her second only to all-time Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings, who holds 73 wins.

In an interview shortly after she made her debut on the show, University of Dayton alum Schneider told Newsweek about the importance of representation.

She said: "I know that in my life, [it's great] to see trans women out there, not being the sort of freaks or prostitutes, or other things that until only a few years ago was all you ever saw them as.

"So as that changed, as I've been able to see them in other contexts—as the human beings that they are—that's been really important for me. And so I'm just really glad to be able to do that same thing for other people."

The former software engineering manager also took a stance on Ohio's politics in December 2021, writing to her followers on Twitter to "remember that, no matter who the Republican candidate is, one of their goals in office will be to make life harder for me personally."