On Thursday, a new rule was implemented in Florida that bans doctors from providing gender-affirming care to transgender minors. This includes hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgery. While young people already on treatment can continue, no new patients can begin. Violation of the rule can lead to fines or the loss of a medical license. The regulation was enacted at the direction of Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, and the state’s Department of Health, according to a press release from several organizations.
The move has been met with criticism from several groups, including the LGBTQ+ community and healthcare professionals. Dr. Kellan Baker, the executive director of the Whitman-Walker Institute, an LGBTQ+ healthcare organization, states that the ban “will hurt children and hurt families and threaten the practice of medicine.” Several parents of trans children in Florida have announced plans to challenge the rule in federal court. They are represented by Southern Legal Counsel, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the Human Rights Campaign.
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The situation for trans youth in Florida may become even more dire, as legislators are considering a bill that goes beyond the medical boards’ rule. The proposed legislation would make the provision of gender-affirming care to minors a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, five years’ probation, or a $5,000 fine. The bill has been approved by the Florida Senate’s Health Policy Committee, and Senate leaders are currently determining whether it needs to be reviewed by another committee.
The ban and proposed legislation have raised concerns among parents, healthcare providers, and LGBTQ+ advocates, who argue that they will have serious physical and mental health consequences for trans youth. The ban comes at a time when trans youth in Florida already face significant challenges, including restrictions on school restroom use, limitations on sports team participation, and the state’s “don’t say gay or trans” law, which restricts instruction on LGBTQ+ topics in public schools.
Critics argue that anti-LGBTQ+ actions in Florida distract from the state’s real problems, such as climate change. LGBTQ+ organizations are calling on Americans to be aware of what’s happening in their own states and to support groups fighting back against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. While trans youth are the primary targets of these moves, the whole LGBTQ+ community is at risk.
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