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According to Breitbart, a recent federal appeals court decision has allowed Florida to proceed with its ban on gender-affirming medical treatments for minors.
On Monday, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled 2-1 in favor of Florida, lifting a lower court’s injunction and permitting the enforcement of a law that prohibits transgender minors from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapies, regardless of parental consent. The law also stipulates that transgender adults must consult directly with a physician—not a nurse or other medical practitioner—to receive such treatments and must be physically present when signing the consent documentation.
This ruling overturns a previous decision by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, who had blocked the enforcement of the law in June. During the district court proceedings, Florida’s legal representatives argued that while the state cannot prevent individuals from adopting a transgender identity, it does have the authority to regulate medical procedures, particularly those involving minors.
The law specifically targets puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone treatments, such as administering testosterone to individuals who are assigned female at birth. Minors already undergoing treatment prior to the law’s enactment in May 2023 were permitted to continue, but surgical procedures, which are exceedingly rare for minors, remain prohibited under the law.
Florida joins a growing number of states—at least 26—that have passed legislation restricting or outright banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Many of these laws, including Florida’s, are currently facing legal challenges. In some cases, such as in Arkansas and previously in Florida, federal judges have ruled these bans unconstitutional, though Florida’s ban has now been temporarily reinstated pending further appeal. In Montana, a similar ban is temporarily blocked by a judge’s order.
