Parents of trans children ask Florida judge to block DeSantis’ health care ban

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Parents of three transgender children in Florida are trying to get a federal judge to block a new law that bans gender-affirming care for minors, a signature policy of the Republican governor. ron desantis as he approaches his presidential campaign.

US District Judge Robert Hinkle heard arguments Friday from a lawyer representing the three families in a case that argues they are being stripped of the right to make medical decisions for their children.

DeSantis has cut back on transgender medical treatments for minors in the state, often portraying the problem in terms that are at odds with the nation’s leading medical associations, tapping into the cultural divisions fueling the Republican base ahead of his early presidential candidacy.

Florida law, signed this week by DeSantis, prohibits the prescription of puberty-blocking, hormonal, and hormonal antagonist therapies to treat gender dysphoria in minors. It also prohibits gender-affirming medical procedures or surgeries for minors.

The law also prohibits the use of state money for gender-affirming care and places new restrictions on adults seeking treatment. Among those restrictions is a requirement that people meet face-to-face with a doctor, not a nurse or nurse practitioner, and not via telemedicine. Private organizations that provide such care could be risking any state funding they receive.

Transgender medical treatment for children and adolescents has been increasingly subject to restrictions or outright bans from Republicans across the country.

At least 17 states have enacted laws restricting or prohibiting gender-affirming health care for transgender minors, including Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Oklahoma. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of the laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and Oklahoma has agreed not to enforce its ban while opponents seek a temporary injunction to block it. Several other states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care.

The treatments have been available in the United States for more than a decade and are endorsed by major medical associations as appropriate care for people diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The guidelines say that surgery should generally be reserved for people over the age of 18.

Treatment usually begins with an assessment of the distress caused when gender identity does not match a person’s assigned sex. With parental consent, persistent dysphoria can be treated with hormones, but usually not until age 16.

The parents did not appear in court on Friday. It is unclear when the judge might rule on his request to block the law. Attorney Jennifer Levi said the law discriminates against transgender people and she hopes the judge will act quickly.

“I hope what it means for these teens is that they can move very quickly to get the care they need, but the judge will set the timeframe for that,” Levi said.