Christine Jordan Sexton
A Judge is completely blocking Florida laws dealing with gender-affirming care touted by Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP legislators.
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, who had previously blocked Florida’s ban on Medicaid treatments for gender dysphoria, declared unconstitutional state laws and rules that prevent minors from accessing puberty blockers and hormones.
“Transgender opponents are of course free to hold their beliefs,” Hinkle wrote. “But they are not free to discriminate against transgender individuals just for being transgender. 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.”
Hinkle’s ruling applies to both adults and minors seeking treatment.
Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for DeSantis, said the state would appeal Hinkle’s decision.
“As we’ve seen here in Florida, the United Kingdom, and across Europe, there is no quality evidence to support the chemical and physical mutilation of children,” Griffin said. “These procedures do permanent, life-altering damage to children, and history will look back on this fad in horror.”
Hinkle’s ruling does not apply to any type of gender-affirming surgery, but to bans on other types of treatments that had been in place. The Judge also cited testimony from physicians and surgeons who had achieved results with treatments such as puberty blockers.
The legal ruling is a substantial setback to both the DeSantis administration and the legislators who sought to ban certain types of care, including those available to minors.
In his decision, Hinkle concluded that some lawmakers backing the legislation acted with “discriminatory animus” — noting, for example, Rep. Webster Barnaby’s public tirade where he called opponents of the bill “mutants” and “demons.”
The initial lawsuit was brought on behalf of transgender children and parents. The litigation was filed against top health officials in the DeSantis administration and the boards that regulate doctors.
9 comments
ScienceBLVR
June 11, 2024 at 3:46 pm
Another DeSantis folly that need not have come into existence, yet cost Floridians lots of moolah unnecessarily. Does availability of transgender care really matter to anyone except families who are dealing with it personally? And again, like abortion rights, end of life decisions, personal health care issues, why oh why does DeSantis or any member of government have to stick his or her nose in my business? Perhaps our gov doesn’t know what the word “freedom “ means, although it seems he sure likes to toss it around, lately.
Billy Nash
June 13, 2024 at 9:01 pm
Perfect response. DeSantis is just plain awful. He’s mean, angry and a very poor governor but the MAGA crowd seem to love him. Well, they love the orange guy too and that is to the detriment of us all.
rick whitaker
June 11, 2024 at 4:46 pm
more spotlight on the desantis gang and their dirty deeds.
Michael K
June 11, 2024 at 5:25 pm
More overreach and unnecessary harm caused, just to feed the DeSanti presidential fantasy. What is it with the radical right-wing and their obsession with sex and sexuality?
We should question elected who take delight in inflicting humiliation and pain on others for their cheap personal political gain. At least the state legislature steered mostly clear of this culture war nonsense in the most recent session.
No more MAGAts
June 11, 2024 at 11:19 pm
A to the freaking men on this one. Rhonda, the judge has spoken! Too bad this doesn’t come with criminal convictions because you’re the next piece of Sh(!)t that needs to be convicted and sentenced because of your waste of taxpayers dollars and bulling bigot transphobic rhetoric. Your religious indoctrination of our children has gone far enough! Your exploitation of taxpayers dollars for your political ideology is over! We are calling you on your BS! The next rule to be overturned is your illegal push of school/voucher that is going to bankrupt our school system for the benefit of private Christian schools. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!! Right wing craze is over! No more MAGAts
Ron DeSantis should be locked up
June 11, 2024 at 11:36 pm
Fuuuuuuuuk Ronnie
Cheesy Floridian
June 12, 2024 at 10:23 am
I’m so happy those millions of dollars in taxes went to the courts and lawyers. It didn’t lower my home insurance or help me in anyway. DeSantis is horrible
citizen
June 13, 2024 at 7:37 am
DeSantis, Ladapo, Weida together have zero integrity. Politically motivated, bigoted liars wasting Floridians’ tax money on court case after court case. Just low-class individuals.
Jojo
June 17, 2024 at 7:27 am
Kudos to Judge Hinkle for following the law, unlike other republican nominees who many times decide cases based on politics.
There is only one set of circumstances that could possibly change these homophobes mind but I’m too polite to say it out loud
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