Stuart Long testifying in support of House Bill 68, which would ban gender-affirming care for minors Credit: The Ohio Channel
Supporters of Ohio House Bill 68, which would  ban gender-affirming care for minors, had its second hearing before the House House Public Health Policy Committee this week.

Among the supporters was Stuart Long, a Columbus-area minister who came to say “what no one else would say” on the topic: Anyone opposed to the bill is possessed by demons who are propagating a satanic agenda.

Rep. Beth Liston (D), asked: Was he also calling “our Hindu, Muslim and Jewish members demons?”

To which Long said that should you not welcome Jesus Christ as your savior you are clearly opening yourself up to the demons of the underworld.

All manner of hate has been spewed in hearings for the anti-trans bill, but as Rep. Casey Weinstein (D) told the USA Today Network Ohio Bureau:  “As much as I’d like to laugh this off, this kind of deranged bullying is all too common these days at the Statehouse. I’m incredibly thankful that my colleague Rep. Liston stood up for the millions of non-Christian Ohioans targeted by these comments.”

Long’s comments in full are below.


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This article appears in Apr 19 – May 3, 2023.

Vince Grzegorek has been with Scene since 2007 and editor-in-chief since 2012. He previously worked at Discount Drug Mart and Texas Roadhouse.