Ohio Democrats want LGBTQ+ votes. Their anti-trans messaging is testing that support

Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur are facing backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates who say their campaign messaging comes at transgender people’s expense.The criticism centers on Kaptur’s recent campaign ads and Acton’s comments opposing transgender girls’ participation in girls’ sports. Both have faced scrutiny from LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Ohio, which gave Kaptur a D and lowered Acton’s grade from an A to a B.The longest-serving woman in congressional history, Kaptur is being criticized by LGBTQ+ advocates for an ad touting her vote for the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, also known as H.R. 2616.Related: Ohio Democratic Party is censoring criticism of anti-trans ads: insiders“I voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools because parents know what’s best for their kids, and boys should not play in girls’ sports,” Kaptur says in the ad.As reported by The Advocate, the bill, dubbed “Don’t Say Trans” by LGBTQ+ advocates, would require schools to out transgender students in certain circumstances and threaten federal funding for schools that “teach or advance concepts related to gender ideology.” Kaptur and seven other Democrats joined Republicans to pass the bill in the House in May. It would also need Senate approval and the president’s signature to become law.According to The Buckeye Flame, Kaptur has a second ad touting her record of breaking ranks with Democrats, including saying “no to teaching gender ideology in schools.”The ads have also fueled a dispute within the Ohio Democratic Party. Party insiders accused its leadership of removing posts from the party’s Pride Caucus social media accounts that criticized Kaptur’s anti-trans messaging.Equality Ohio gave Kaptur a D, saying that “transgender Ohioans should not be used as political talking points,” while her opponent, former Republican state legislator Derek Merrin, whom Kaptur narro