Florida expands ban on gender-affirming medical interventions for minors by removing exceptions for research

02/15/2023 / By Belle Carter

The board overseeing physicians in Florida stepped up its ban on puberty-blocking hormones and gender-affirming surgeries for minors – by removing exceptions for research.

During the Feb. 10 joint meeting of the Florida Board of Medicine (FBM) and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine (FBOM), board members voted to take out the exception for clinical trial at the behest of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The request was coursed through the Florida Department of Health.

Last fall, both boards approved the prohibition of gender-affirming surgery and puberty-blocking hormones for minors. Under-aged transitioning individuals already receiving puberty blockers prior to the ban were permitted to continue taking them. At the time, an exception for clinical research trials that examined the long-term impact of the treatments was in place. (Related: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he plans to PROHIBIT gender transition surgeries from being performed on children.)

Back in 2021, the governor of the Sunshine State signed a bill barring transgender girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student-athletes assigned female at birth.

Aside from Florida, Utah also moved to ban sex change surgeries for anyone under 18. Senate Bill 16, signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on Jan. 28, codified this ban into law. Aside from banning gender surgeries, the new law also prevented children from beginning hormone therapies – including puberty blockers – without a formal gender dysphoria diagnosis.

The Beehive State joined the growing list of states that have moved to ban or restrict this type of care for minors, along with Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida and Texas.

Gay mafia enraged with Florida’s ban on gender-related procedures

Members of the LGBT community and their supporters who attended the Feb. 10 joint meeting of the medical boards in the state capital Tallahassee were enraged by the decision. This prompted law enforcement to step in and position themselves in front of the room to manage the crowd.

One attendee claimed that gender-affirming treatment had been “magical” and was like “opening a prison door” for them or their children. Others said gender treatments had stopped them from “fighting with themselves” and contemplating suicide. Another attendee, a transgender adult man, injected hormones in front of the medical boards.

Female-to-male transgender LJ Valenzuela testified: “I’m a teenager. Without getting this medicine at this crucial age, I would have been waiting for my life to start.”

Parent Judy Smith, another attendee, expressed worry that her six-year-old son won’t be able to get the gender-affirming care he needs. “If you make this blanket rule, you are doing harm,” she warned.

Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat, called the ban against gender-affirming care “politically motivated.”

But Tampa, Florida-based physician Dr. Hector Vila disputed that interpretation. “This isn’t about trans- or homophobia,” said Vila, a member of the FBM. “This isn’t about politics.”

This is about protecting the children from potential harms.

Visit GenderConfused.com for more stories about puberty blockers and gender surgeries.

Watch Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis discuss the dangers of “gender-affirming care” in a speech.

This video is from the In Search Of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.