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Florida Governor DeSantis signs bill banning sex change surgeries for minors

US judge dismisses Disney suit claiming DeSantis 'retaliation'
Source: Video Screenshot

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has officially signed a bill banning sex change surgeries and the use of medications like puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors, DailyMail reported.

Florida DeSantis bill banning sex change surgeries: Implications on child custody and bathroom policies

Commonly referred to as Senate Bill 254, this legislation was successfully passed by the state legislature last month. As a result, any form of sex change surgery for individuals under 18 is now strictly prohibited.

Additionally, healthcare professionals are barred from administering drugs or carrying out state-funded “gender-affirming” medical procedures on minors.

DeSantis, poised to run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has tied his political future to LGBTQ rights and cultural issues.

“This will permanently outlaw the mutilation of minors,” DeSantis said at a bill-signing ceremony in Tampa.

“I mean they’re trying to do sex change operations on minors, giving them puberty blockers and doing things that are irreversible to them,” the Republican governor said. “We think this is very wrong.”

Furthermore, the recently implemented law, which becomes effective immediately, gives state courts the authority to handle child custody disputes involving transgender minors when a Florida parent objects to treatment sought by an out-of-state parent.

In addition, DeSantis approved a “bathroom bill” that mandates public facilities to designate restrooms or locker rooms solely based on an individual’s gender assigned at birth.

Florida’s immediate transgender healthcare law sparks controversy

The newly enacted law is effective immediately and mandates that transgender adults must obtain written consent using a specific form approved by the Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine.

Alongside Florida, at least 14 other states have implemented bans on treatments for transgender minors, although many of these face legal challenges.

Surgical procedures for minors are extremely uncommon and are performed only after extensive monitoring by multiple medical professionals.

Supporters of these bills from the Republican party often express skepticism towards the prevailing medical consensus, which supports gender-affirming care and, in some cases, considers it life-saving.

On the contrary, opponents of transgender healthcare argue that it is risky and experimental, with some labeling these measures as chemical castration or child abuse.

The passage of this bill drew criticism from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which claimed that it interfered with the doctor-patient relationship, according to Reuters.

“Florida’s bill has created a chilling effect on the medical community by inserting politics into health care,” Marci Bowers, the association’s president, said in a statement.

About the author

Brendan Taylor

Brendan Taylor was a TV news producer for 5 and a half years. He is an experienced writer. Brendan covers Breaking News at Insider Paper.







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