(Miami) Florida lawmakers passed a law on Thursday that bars doctors from administering gender-transitional hormone and surgical treatments to minors, a move backed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The text prohibits surgical operations, treatments blocking puberty or taking hormones.
It is part of a national conservative offensive on gender and sexuality issues. The elected officials of a dozen states, including Idaho, Indiana or Georgia, have passed laws to ban this transitional care, sometimes with penalties for doctors who violate the rule.
To become law, the text must still be signed by Ron DeSantis, which is beyond doubt.
The 44-year-old governor, who is rumored to be ready to run for the White House, has made Florida a laboratory for his very conservative policies, especially in matters of morals.
He is the promoter of a strongly criticized law dubbed “Don’t say gay”, which strongly restricts or even prevents the teaching of career-related subjects in schools. sexual and gender.
The text on transitional treatments received the full support of the Republican majority in both chambers. The Democrats, opposed, could do nothing.
“Words are not enough to bring into existence something that does not exist. You can’t change sex,” Republican Ralph Massullo said during the debates in the local House of Representatives.
“As for the children affected by this law, they cannot change their sex, they must accept this fact,” he added, according to the Miami Herald.
However, the law includes an exception for minors who are already receiving hormones or a puberty blocker.
At the same time, it limits adult access to transitional treatments by prohibiting the use of public funds or their administration by a doctor via a teleconsultation.
The vote on this text angered associations like Equality Florida, which defends LGBTQ rights.
“This is an attack on medical freedom and parental freedom,” one of its officials, Jon Harris, said in a statement. “It’s a political crusade, but it has real consequences for Florida families. »
