FL Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors Struck Down: Reports

FLORIDA — A federal judge struck down Florida’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, calling it unconstitutional, in a ruling Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

Senate Bill 254 and related Boards of Medicine rulings also restricted health care for transgender adults, allowing only physicians to provide such care.

"Transgender opponents are, of course, free to hold their beliefs," Judge Robert L. Hinkle said in his decision, according to ABC News. "But they are not free to discriminate against transgender individuals just for being transgender."

In his 105-page decision, which blocks the state’s enforcement of the law, Hinkle wrote that Florida’s ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors “even when medically appropriate” to treat gender dysphoria is “unconstitutional.”

These types of care for those who are transgender or who deal with gender dysphoria, are generally accepted among the medical community, the judge wrote, according to ClickOrlando.com.

Hinkle wrote that preventing these treatments for people is not “a legitimate state interest” and noted that the law was created with a “discriminatory purpose.”

"This is a politically fraught area. There has long been, and still is, substantial bigotry directed at transgender individuals. Common experience confirms this, as do some of the comments of legislators recounted above. And even when not based on bigotry, there are those who incorrectly but sincerely believe that gender identity is not real but instead just a choice. This is, as noted above, the elephant in the room," he wrote, according to USA Today.

The lawsuit against the state, filed by four transgender adults and seven parents of transgender youth, didn’t challenge the ban on surgery for minors and the judge didn’t address this in his decision.

“VICTORY! A Florida district court has PERMANENTLY blocked Florida from enforcing an unconstitutional law that banned health care for trans youth and restricted it for trans adults,” the organization GLAAD wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "The court found that SB 254 violates equal protection — a huge win for trans Floridians and families!”

The Human Rights Campaign posted to X, “This is a FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND victory & a powerful reminder that the tide is turning on anti-LGBTQ+ attacks.”

As of Tuesday at 3 p.m., Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, hadn’t released comments about Hinkle’s decision.