Last week, the Florida Department of Health issued guidance discouraging transgender minors suffering from gender dysphoria from socially transitioning or obtaining any gender-affirming health care treatments.
The guidance issued by the department directly conflicts with advice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and medical experts, who recommend that minors suffering from gender dysphoria obtain treatment based on their individual needs and health assessments — although HHS does not recommend gender confirmation surgery for minors.
In a memo, the Florida Department of Health specifically recommended against minors receiving hormone therapies, puberty-blocking drugs, or gender confirmation surgery to assist in a transition.
The memo also discourages “social transition,” in which no medical procedures are undertaken, but a person may present in public, part-time or full-time, in their identified gender, including wearing gender-affirming hairstyles or clothes.
The memo says children and adolescents should receive “social support” from peers and family members and seek out counseling from a licensed provider.
Although the memo is intended to serve as guidance for medical providers, and is not a firm rule or regulation, it does signify yet another attempt by Florida to push back against the idea of affirming minors’ gender identity.
In recent years, state lawmakers have barred transgender athletes from competing in sports based on their gender identity, and have restricted discussions or content related to gender identity in schools when the information is not “age appropriate or developmentally appropriate.”
Christina Pushaw, a spokeswoman for Gov. Ron DeSantis, told the Tampa Bay Timesthe guidance is not enforced by the state, but offers and explains recommendations to families and health care providers.
“Physicians may use guidance from different authoritative sources, including government entities and professional associations, in determining the best course of treatment for their patients,” she said in a statement.
In March, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued an “information memorandum” urging states to use their child welfare systems to protect and support LGBTQI+ youth, and informing agencies that gender-affirming care is a valid form of medically necessary treatment for transgender youth suffering from gender dysphoria.
HHS also released guidance making clear that denials of medically necessary health care based on a person’s gender identity are illegal under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, as is restricting doctors from providing such care or prescribing gender-affirming treatments for youth struggling with gender dysphoria.
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo accused HHS of publishing its guidance for political and not medical reasons. The federal guidance links to several academic studies and research papers, which were completed by organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics — but the Florida Department of Health released a “fact sheet” disputing the findings of those studies.
“The federal government’s medical establishment releasing guidance failing at the most basic level of academic rigor shows that this was never about health care,” Ladapo wrote. “It was about injecting political ideology into the health of our children.”
But LGBTQ rights organization Equality Florida said that it is the DeSantis administration who is playing political games.
“Once again, the DeSantis Administration seeks to replace science and the safety of young people with political propaganda. The Florida Department of Health has released non-binding guidance opposing science-backed health care for transgender children,” the statement said.
“This guidance demonizes life-saving, medically-necessary care, and asserts that the government, not parents, knows best when it comes to health care for our children. And, once again, DeSantis wants the government to intrude into doctors’ offices to pander to extremists in service to his political ambitions.
“Parents should be deciding, in partnership with their child’s doctor, based on science, not politics, what is best for their children. Governor DeSantis’ runaway agenda of banning books, muzzling teachers, censoring history, and pushing government control is putting a handful of extremists in charge of every aspect of the lives of Floridians and is making the state less safe for LGBTQ families, especially transgender children.”
Two major golf associations have banned transgender women from participating in elite competitions.
Last week, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced that beginning with the 2025 season, players who have undergone male puberty will no longer be eligible to compete on the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour, and in all other elite LPGA competitions.
Transgender women who have undergone male puberty prior to transitioning may still be allowed to compete in "open events," such as recreational programs and non-elite events open to people regardless of assigned sex at birth.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed legislation allowing parents to opt their children out of certain lessons and limits -- or even outright bans -- discussion of LGBTQ-related topics in classrooms.
The Republican signed the bill into law on January 8, arguing that it strikes the right balance by allowing parents to have more of a say in what content their children are exposed to in schools.
" the first teachers, they're the best teachers, and that's very, very important," DeWine told reporters at the Ohio Statehouse, arguing the bill keeps parents informed of what's going on in schools.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed an annual defense funding bill that contains a provision prohibiting coverage of gender-affirming medical care.
The House voted 281-140 to pass the bill, with 81 Democrats siding with Republicans. Sixteen Republicans voted against passage of the bill, primarily due to objections not having to do with the transgender care ban.
Under the provision, TriCare, the military's health insurance plan, is banned from covering any medical treatment for "gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization" for minor dependents of military members.
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