gender identity

State medical boards will host a joint public hearing on Feb. 10 in Tallahassee. Teens and their families seeking transgender care say they are confused and anxious about proposed restrictions.

There are procedural steps two state medical boards have to complete before the rules are finalized. But there have already been reports of disruptions to care, and some families say the stress is traumatizing.

The rules prohibit doctors from prescribing puberty-blocking, hormone and hormone “antagonist” treatments for patients under 18. The rules would not apply to children already receiving treatments.

Members of the Florida Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine voted on a draft rule that would ban doctors from providing gender-affirming treatments to people younger than 18.

Medicaid beneficiaries receiving gender-affirming care are now responsible for paying the costs. The four plantiffs, including two children, say the treatments are “medically necessary, safe and effective.”

The petition proposes what is known as a “standard of care” that would prohibit patients under age 18 from receiving sex-reassignment surgery and puberty-blocking, hormone and hormone “antagonist” treatments.

The ruling by a federal appeals court is effectively a victory for two family therapists, who challenged ordinances that barred treatment or counseling designed to change minors’ sexual orientation or gender identity.

Seven out-of-state scientists and a Yale law professor say the proposal ignores “established science” and relies on "biased and discredited sources, stereotyping and purported ‘expert’ reports that carry no scientific weight.”

A meeting drew more than 150 people, with supporters of the proposal - many of sporting “Let Kids Be Kids” decals and making biblical references - vastly outnumbering opponents.

If the rule is approved, Medicaid would not pay for gender-affirming treatments in Florida. That includes puberty blockers, hormones and sex-assignment surgeries for both youth and adults.