A federal judge invalidated portions of a Florida statute this week that limited the provision of “gender-affirming care” to minors. The judge ruled that several statutes pertaining to hormone therapies, surgeries, and puberty blockers were unlawful.

The purpose of the regulation was to stop healthcare facilities from giving young patients irreversible “gender-affirming” therapies. Numerous studies have demonstrated that these therapies are detrimental to minors with gender dysphoria, in addition to being ineffective. Still, the judge overturned the policy.

“On Tuesday, a federal judge declared various statutes that forbid such care to be unconstitutional, striking down portions of Florida’s prohibitions on transition-related medical care for transgender adults and adolescents.”

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis supported the bill, which elevated Florida to the top tier of states with the strictest laws pertaining to transgender treatment nationwide.

Judge Robert L. Hinkle of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, stated in his judgment that transgender opponents “are of course allowed to retain their ideas.” But they can’t treat transgender people unfairly just because they’re transgender. As racism and misogyny have declined over time, so too will discrimination against transgender people. The moral cosmos has a long arc that bends toward justice, to borrow the words of a civil rights activist from before.

“Florida can regulate as needed, but it cannot totally deny transgender people access to effective medical treatment, like treatment with medications routinely given to others with the state’s full approval, as long as the purpose is not to support the patient’s transgender identity,” continued Hinkle with further comments.

“Discrimination against transgender individuals will reduce, just as racism and misogyny have diminished,” the judge declared.

In a statement, Governor Ron DeSantis criticized the decision, citing the European countries that gave up on the “gender-affirming” paradigm after a number of studies exposed its shortcomings.

The statement read, “The people of Florida took action to protect children in our state through their elected officials, and the Court erred in overriding their intentions.” “As we have witnessed in Florida, the UK, and throughout Europe, there is insufficient evidence to justify the physical and chemical maiming of children. Children who undergo these treatments suffer long-term, life-altering harm, and history will look back on this craze with horror.

Florida’s lawyers allegedly admitted during the trial that while the state cannot forbid someone from pursuing a transgender identity, it can control medical treatment.

Gender identity is real, and there has been and continues to be significant discrimination against transgender people, according to the same judge who temporarily blocked the law back in June 2023.

As previously mentioned, this presents a significant issue. One can only hope that there will always be those who oppose bigotry when it occurs. It should come as no surprise that medical professionals who are willing to provide supportive care and who recognize that transgender identity can be real rather than made up are against bigotry against transgender people.”

In a statement, Julia Friedland, the governor’s deputy press secretary, claimed that the court “was incorrect to override” the legislature that the people had chosen in order to “protect children.”

Of the 25 states that have enacted laws prohibiting “gender-affirming care” for kids, the Sunshine State is one. Legal challenges against these statutes have also been filed in other states.

Author: Scott Dowdy