The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta recently issued a 2-1 decision that allows Florida to enforce a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. This ban prohibits transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers and hormonal treatments, even with parental consent. The law also stipulates that transgender adults can only receive treatment from a doctor, not a registered nurse or other medical practitioner, and must be present in the room when signing the consent form.
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle had previously blocked the law in June, but the recent decision by the federal appeals court has revived it while the matter is appealed. Florida's attorneys argued that while the state cannot prevent individuals from identifying as transgender, it can regulate the medical care they receive.
At least 26 states have passed laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, with many facing legal challenges. Federal judges have ruled bans in Arkansas and Florida as unconstitutional, but the Florida ruling has been stayed by a federal appeals court. In Montana, a judge's order is temporarily blocking enforcement of a similar ban.
The states that have passed laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors include Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The debate over gender-affirming care for minors continues to be a contentious issue, with legal challenges and differing opinions on how best to regulate and provide medical care for transgender individuals.