In a recent development, a federal judge in Florida has denied a motion to block portions of Florida’s Senate Bill 254, which aims to restrict access to gender-affirming care for both trans minors and adults in the state. This decision implies that trans adults in Florida can now only seek gender-affirming care from physicians, excluding certified nurse practitioners, who have traditionally been a significant source of such care in the state.
The ruling, issued by District Court Judge Robert Hinkle, states that the law “does not prohibit adults from obtaining treatments of the kind the plaintiffs seek.” This decision comes in response to a motion filed by four transgender adults who joined an ongoing lawsuit against Senate Bill 254, arguing that their access to medical care in Florida had been unlawfully disrupted by the new law.
According to the complaint, two of the adult plaintiffs have been unable to obtain hormone replacement therapy from nurse practitioners they had previously relied on, while two others had their scheduled gender-affirming surgeries canceled due to fears of legal repercussions arising from the poorly written bill.
Hinkle also mentioned that a trial scheduled for November would determine the constitutionality of Senate Bill 254. He stated, “In short, the adult plaintiffs have not shown they will suffer irreparable harm, between now and the date of a final judgment, caused by any part of the statute or rules as to which the plaintiffs’ challenge is likely to succeed on the merits.”
The judge also acknowledged the impact of an 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in August that allowed Alabama’s felony ban on gender-affirming health care to take effect. Hinkle noted that the adult plaintiffs’ likelihood of success is now “significantly lower.” This decision comes in the wake of an alarming trend, with several states passing laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for trans minors, and Florida and Missouri imposing limits on healthcare for transgender adults.
The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have all rejected claims that gender-affirming care is harmful to transgender individuals of any age, further emphasizing the contentious nature of these laws.
This ongoing legal battle underscores the complex and evolving landscape of transgender rights and healthcare access in the United States, with many advocates continuing to fight for the rights of transgender individuals to receive appropriate and compassionate medical care.