Tallahassee, Florida – A federal judge in Florida has overturned a ban on gender-affirming care for minors in a huge win for LGBTQ+ rights.
In the midst of Pride Month, Judge Robert Hinkle struck down a measure seeking to outlaw gender-affirming care for Florida youth. The legislation, signed into law last year by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, also increased burdens for trans adults by requiring them to see a physician in person in order to access transition-related medical care.
“Gender identity is real. Those whose gender identity does not match their natal sex often suffer gender dysphoria,” Hinkle wrote in his decision.
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Last September, the Bill Clinton appointee issued a preliminary injunction on the ban for minors, but left restrictions for adults in place as the case played out in court.
The final ruling applies to puberty blockers and hormone therapies, but not to gender-affirming surgeries for minors, which are still prohibited in the state.
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“In time, discrimination against transgender individuals will diminish, just as racism and misogyny have diminished. To paraphrase a civil-rights advocate from an earlier time, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
* Original Article:
https://www.tag24.com/topic/lgbtq/floridas-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-for-minors-dealt-major-defeat-in-court-3215112?utm_source=smartnews