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Credit: Inside the MagicOn Monday, a federal appeals court ruled that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis could ban specific medical treatment for Walt Disney World Resort cast members and guests and other Sunshine State residents.
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Last May, Governor DeSantis signed Senate Bill 254. The law prohibits gender-affirming care for anyone under 18 and places strict restrictions on adult transgender health care. A federal judge struck down SB 254 in July, but the anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation did irreparable harm for the months it was enacted.
The Independent reported that clinics stopped almost all gender-affirming care for adults in Florida when SB 254 passed. Out of fear of criminal and civil penalties, many doctors and pharmacies stopped offering hormone replacement therapy (HRT)–even though SB 254 technically didn’t outright ban adult transgender health care.
DeSantis vowed to appeal the decision, and the verdict came on Monday night. According to The Advocate, a federal appeals court decided that Florida can enforce bans and restrictions on gender-affirming care as a lawsuit against the legislation proceeds.
A three-judge panel ruled 2-1 that the state will likely win the ongoing lawsuit against Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo by multiple anonymous plaintiffs. In the majority opinion, Judges Britt C. Grant and Robert J. Luck wrote:
“The district court likely misapplied the presumption that the legislature acted in good faith when it concluded that the prohibition and regulation provisions, and the implementing rules, were based on invidious discrimination against transgender minors and adults.”
Judge Charles R. Wilson dissented. He argued that the original injunction against SB 254 “identified sufficient record evidence to support concluding that the act’s passage was based on invidious discrimination against transgender adults and minors” and “withholding access to gender-affirming care would cause needless suffering.”
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The decision impacts more than 95,000 transgender people living in Florida. The anonymous plaintiffs issued the following statement through their representation, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Southern Legal Counsel, and Lowenstein Sandler LLP:
“We are deeply disappointed by this decision and the panel’s disregard for the district court’s careful findings and adherence to the Eleventh Circuit’s recent precedent. Allowing these discriminatory restrictions to go back into effect will deny transgender adults and adolescents lifesaving care, and prevent Florida parents from making medical decisions that are right for their children. As the district court found based on voluminous evidence, the record shows that these extraordinary restrictions were based on disapproval of transgender people and serve no purpose other than to harm transgender Floridians. The plaintiffs in this case are considering their options and will take every step possible to protect their right to equal treatment under Florida’s laws, which these restrictions egregiously violate. We will continue fighting for transgender Floridians and their families, and for everyone’s right to make healthcare decisions without government interference.”
Do you agree or disagree with the federal judge’s decision on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s restrictions on gender-affirming care? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments.