The Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine on Friday refused to scrap new rules prohibiting doctors from using gender-affirming care for trans youths, after dozens of transgender men and women pleaded with them to reverse the treatment bans.
Also, at a joint meeting of the boards, the Board of Osteopathic Medicine unanimously nixed an exception to its rule that would have allowed trans children participating in studies conducted by state universities to receive medical treatment. That brought the two boards’ rules into alignment.
The state Department of Health in July filed a petition seeking a rule-making process on the contentious issue of treatment for gender dysphoria, which the federal government defines clinically as “significant distress that a person may feel when sex or gender assigned at birth is not the same as their identity.”
The boards in November approved the DeSantis administration’s proposal to ban doctors from using puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgery to treat gender dysphoria for transgender minors, with the Board of Osteopathic Medicine adding the exemption.
More than 150 people attended Friday’s meeting, where speakers overwhelmingly opposed the treatment bans. The critics repeatedly noted that most of the country’s medical associations have endorsed gender-affirming care for minors and adults.
Lola Smith, a self-described nonbinary 12-year-old, beseeched regulators to reverse the rules.
“The most embarrassing moment of my life is happening right now as I stand in front of a panel of strangers and publicly beg for my right to exist. Nothing is more humiliating and dehumanizing than pleading for one’s own existence. How did we get here? Politicians are using kids like me to get votes from people who hate us,” Smith said.
Lindsey Spero, a 25-year-old trans man from St. Petersburg, injected himself with a hormone shot as he faced the board. Spero said he attempted to end his life numerous times as he was growing up because he lacked access to gender-affirming care.
“My medication is lifesaving. Your denial of my need for this medication doesn’t make my existence as a trans person any less real,” Spero said.
Under the rules, minors currently being treated with puberty blockers or hormone therapies would be allowed to continue the treatment.
But parents of trans kids who are transitioning socially and haven’t begun such treatments or who are currently using medical treatment expressed concern about their children’s futures.
“This is a major infringement to my parental rights,” Emer Roy Mulcahy chastised the boards. “Stay in your lane. You don’t protect the children by removing health care from those same children. Those are easy to pick on, being a vulnerable group craving nothing more than acceptance and space in the world. Do the right thing. Reverse the whole thing.”
Simone Chriss, director of the Trans Rights Initiative at Southern Legal Counsel, argued that the treatments are necessary.
“We know based on the overwhelming weight of evidence and science that access to treatment for gender dysphoria is safe, effective and medically necessary … and stripping children in Florida … to that care harms them, in no way protects them,” said Chriss, a lawyer who was among the people who requested Friday’s hearing.
Board of Medicine Chairman Scot Ackerman pushed back, arguing “there’s not adequate evidence to support the use” of the treatments.
“What the board has sought to do is protect our children from therapies that have irreversible harm. … So it’s a very limited set of therapies that have been restricted, but this board still wants these patients cared for, absolutely,” he said.
But Jacob Eleazar, a transgender man who is a clinical psychologist, questioned what type of care that would be.
“There are no evidence-based psychological treatments for gender dysphoria.
So that makes me wonder, is the implication that the treatment should be sexual orientation or gender-identity change efforts, which we know … are incredibly harmful?” he said. “I’m sick of cleaning up the mess.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is widely seen as a top contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, has elevated the issue of treatment for transgender youths. The governor frequently refers to surgeries on transgender minors as “genital mutilation,” though experts have said the surgeries are exceptionally rare.
Board of Medicine member Hector Vila said the boards, which regulate physicians, thoroughly explored the issue before concluding the therapies are not supported by the evidence.
“I’m sorry it’s uncomfortable. We’re in an uncomfortable situation. I feel like there’s a lot of the public thinks I dislike them. Not at all,” he began, interrupted by jeers from the audience. “We can’t even make a sincere comment, and it’s hurtful to us … This isn’t about politics. This is about the information we reviewed, the testimony we’ve listened to, and the narrow set of circumstances in which we’re trying to protect the children.”
Urging the Board of Osteopathic Medicine to strip its rule of the exception for clinical research, Department of Health general counsel John Wilson said having different standards for the medical boards “is both illogical and confusing.”
“The department believes that the record does not support any reason that an osteopathic physician can complete these treatments or conduct this research with greater safety than their allopathic counterpart,” he said. “The department is also concerned that the exception threatens to undermine the purpose of the rule.”
The osteopathic board voted unanimously to remove the exception, with no discussion.
–Dara Kam, News Service of Florida
Deirdre says
I don’t get it, what’s the problem for right wing politicians to deny medical care for anyone for anything? This includes safe legal abortions as well. How is it hurting them, to the point they have to change laws that deal with issues that are none of their business?
On a personal level, I think young people should be able to get medical intervention for whatever they want in this area, but I think surgical changes that can’t be reversed could wait until someone’s 18 – but that’s just my opinion!
I would never interfere with someone else’s choices or medical care, for anything. It’s not my call, and it’s not theirs either. These things are certainly not hurting me, that’s ridiculous.
If some people claim God doesn’t like it, I suggest they wait until they die and hope they can have a conversation about it with the Almighty. I hope I can have a conversation as well, to figure out why we’ve taken such a backwards step in the 21st-century.
Perhaps a better focus for helping our kids is to keep them safe from mass shootings, instead of burning books and creating laws that infringe on human rights.
Perhaps celebrating life and respecting it (including people who are not caucasian or straight), would better serve the people of Florida.
I’m sick about the possibility that this guy could be the next president, and pass the same kinds of laws for the whole country.
Let’s not pretend this is about caring about the well being of Americans and doing God’s work. It’s just sickening that politicians have the power to hurt the people they’re supposed to serve.
Paul says
Someone has some common sense and not caving to the woke lunatic culture of the left. Under 18 too young to vote, drink rent a car. But hey, not too young to decide to change my sex. Lunatic left and its destruction of America.
Tony Mack says
Bet your just fine with forcing a 10-year girl to have a baby as happened in Ohio. Republicans went apoplectic and demanded that she not have access to an abortion, once again Republicans practicing medicine without a license. See, Republicans want to be in everyone’s life as long as it follows their doctrines. Otherwise, it’s “woke”, whatever that’s supposed to mean. Pitiful, really.
Deborah Coffey says
Sure, and I think all boys 12 and over should have a vasectomy, don’t you? Someone has some common sense not caving to the woke lunatic culture of the left…making sure that all those sluts don’t get pregnant. For the party of “personal responsibility” and “family values” I definitely think vasectomies are the way to go, don’t you?
The ORIGINAL land of no turn signals says
“my medication is lifesaving” Give me a brake get medical insurance work and be productive and do what ever you want when your 18.A bit dramatic.
Aren’t You Cool says
Aren’t you privileged. You were born straight, in a body you’re comfortable in. Feels great waking up every morning and looking at yourself in the mirror, right? You have no idea. Not one, what it feels like for people born a different way. You don’t care either because it doesn’t affect you or yours. If it did affect yours, I’m so sure you’d care either. You may welcome their pain and their misery because they are just kids, right?
I mean a child can’t possibly know who they are but I bet you did. I bet you knew from a young age you were straight. Why, in your mind, should it take anyone on the LGBTQ spectrum until they’re 18 to know who they are?
You heteros are constantly sexualizing children. Two parents, one of a boy and one of a girl, see them playing and say aww look maybe they’ll be BF and GF or have babies one day. You heteros do that on the regular. You make everything about sex. All the time. You sexualize everything on the LGBTQ spectrum and that’s a you problem. I’m sure you’re just fine with taking your kids to Hooters where their backsides hang out or to see a football game with half-naked women or dress your girls up to look like tramps and put them into child beauty pageants but the mere thought of a trans person makes your head explode. I won’t even touch drag queens because the mere mention may make your eyeballs melt.
Admit it – you hate it because you think Laverne Cox is hot and it bothers you because she used to be a man. All this trans hate is just that, your own internalized fear. No one is mutilating kids. No one. That’s a Faux News and Republican lie. Want to protect kids? Keep them away from churches and Republicans.
Sheila Zinkerman says
White Christian Nationalists have infiltrated Florida’s Capitol and our school boards. The sun has set, and Tallahassee is now in darkness. LGBTQ RIGHTS (caps purposeful) are a church-state separation issue. Christian Nationalists and their version of Christianity is no excuse to harm others. They are banning LGBTQ+ books, venues, and have gagged our teachers with threats of felony charges if they teach inclusion. If you or anyone you know witness discriminatory or other harm to an LGBTQ+ person, report it to Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. It is our civic duty.
https://www.au.org/report-a-violation/
Deborah Coffey says
Well, one hopes they can sleep at night with all the suicides on their consciences. Republicans kill…in numerous ways…wars, lack of healthcare, promoting guns, anti-science shenanigans and LIES.