In 2023, Florida prevented transgender treatment for children. Puberty blockers and hormone therapy were prohibited, and the treatment of adults who identified as transgender had to comply with more requirements for treatment than previously.
Nevertheless, the U.S. District Court ruled against the law:
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle on Tuesday ruled that last year’s restrictions to care are unconstitutional, and that Florida can regulate treatments but cannot deny transgender individuals ‘safe and effective medical treatment,’ especially since the treatment with those medications is still provided to cisgender patients with the state’s full approval. ‘Transgender opponents are of course free to hold their beliefs. But they are not free to discriminate against transgender individuals just for being transgender,’ the ruling states.
Judge Hinkle wrote in his decision that “gender dysphoria is real,” when in fact many medical authorities, particularly in other countries, are questioning the current treatments; he doesn't appear to take into account the long-term effects of those treatments.
Some advocates say that the restrictions on adults make receiving treatment difficult:
The new law that bans gender-affirming care for minors also mandates that adult patients seeking trans health care sign an informed consent form. It also requires a physician to oversee any health care related to transitioning, and for people to see that doctor in person. Those rules have proven particularly onerous because many people received care from nurse practitioners and used telehealth. The law also made it a crime to violate the new requirements.
Another new [Florida] law that allows doctors and pharmacists to refuse to treat transgender people further limits their options.
It is debatable whether these actions work to benefit the health of adults who receive transgender care, because it ensures these requirements are followed, or whether people believe that these requirements are intended to discourage treatment.
What are some of the contradictory conclusions about transgenderism?
The truth about transgenderism is coming out. On Monday, Michael Shellenberger released a multitude of internal files from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) that ‘prove that the practice of transgender medicine is neither scientific nor medical.’
Transitioning does not cure any disease or correct any physical ailment or injury. Rather, the point of medicalized transition is to disrupt and destroy the normal functioning of healthy bodies.
Claims have also been made that children are more at risk of self-harm and suicide if they do not transition to become transgender. But the data does not support this claim.
The evidence also shows (in spite of statements to the contrary) that puberty blockers and hormone replacement theory can affect children who undergo them; their bodies often don’t mature normally, and can even become sterile, which is often not reversible.
Nowadays, when children express questions about their gender, their teachers and counselors appear overly enthusiastic about assuming they must be experiencing gender dysphoria, and their gender must be misidentified. Instead of recommending that the students pursue therapy, to help explain that this confusion is not unusual and to help them clarify their questions about gender, they assume a child’s gender must be misidentified. As a result, the children are often encouraged to adopt names associated with the opposite gender, ask for a change of pronouns, and insist that the new name and gender labels be accepted by others.
In the United Kingdom, a gynecologist was hired to conduct a study about the state of
transgenderism:
At the heart of Hilary Cass’s review of gender identity services in the NHS is a concern for the welfare of ‘children and young people.’ Her stated ambition is to ensure that those experiencing gender dysphoria receive a high standard of care. This will be disputed, of course, by people and lobbying groups angered by her recommendations, but it is a theme running through the review. Cass, a past president of the UK’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, seeks to provide better care for children and adolescents on one of the defining issues of our age. Her conclusion is alarming for anybody who genuinely cares for child welfare: gender medicine is 'built on shaky foundations.'
Florida has appealed Judge Hinkle’s decision to block state restrictions on treatment and has asked that the ruling be put on hold until the appeal is decided.
Although this treatment is supported at the federal level, which is an example of federal overreach, in Florida we must decide for ourselves if this action comes under state sovereignty. It's important that medical treatment is based on substantial research and good science, as we work to make the best decisions possible. At Convention of States we hope that people will look into the evidence for and against transgenderism, look at the political implications, and decide if this type of treatment benefits our children and our society.
