A Florida Judge Will Allow Families Challenging State Gender-Affirming Care Restrictions to Receive Care

A Florida judge on Tuesday blocked the enforcement of new state restrictions on gender-affirming health care for three transgender children whose families have challenged them in federal court, ruling that the state has prohibited the administration of treatments “even when medically appropriate.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who launched his bid for the White House late last month, in May signed off on a law making it illegal for health care professionals to provide gender-affirming medical interventions including puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy and surgeries to transgender minors.

Those who violate the law risk being convicted of a third-degree felony crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, according to Florida’s criminal code. The new law additionally limits access to care for transgender adults by significantly narrowing the pool of providers who are able to legally administer treatments and requiring that patients over the age of 18 submit documentation that does not yet exist.

Read the source article at thehill.com