ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida's medical regulators moved a step closer to banning controversial treatments for gender dysphoria in minors.
During a Friday meeting in Orlando meeting, a rules committee from the state boards of medicine and osteopaths advanced the change to their full panels.
That was despite an outcry from LGBTQ+ advocates and three dissenting votes.
The proposal bans physicians from prescribing puberty blockers, cross-hormone therapy, or top and bottom surgeries to those under 18 specifically seeking gender dysphoria treatment.
Supporters of the ban believed the risks of the therapies and procedures outweighed the benefits, even as numerous medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, support gender-affirming care as both safe and effective.
The vote came after hours of public comment, including from parents of trans children and those who had de-transitioned.
"I can never fit a dress the same way again," Camille Kiefel, who started transitioning in her 30s before reversing course, said. "I can never breastfeed. Who will love me? You know what keeps me going? Stopping this from happening to someone else."
"What you're talking about is waiting until age 18," said Mary Flynn, the mother of a 12-year-old trans child. "They won't be here. This group commits suicide."
Committee members crafted an exception to the ban for clinical research. They also mulled upgrading consent requirements for those already getting the therapies but tabled the discussion.
The full medical boards have scheduled a joint conference next Friday. Members may take up the change and possibly approve it. If they do, LGBTQ+ civil rights groups warned Friday afternoon a lawsuit is likely.
"We're in conversation with lots of different states and national partners about this upcoming rule," Simone Chriss, the Southern Legal Director for the Transgender Rights Initiative, said. "Unquestionably, there will be legal challenges."
This wouldn't be the first lawsuit challenging the state's position on gender dysphoria treatments. Florida is already being sued for its recent rule banning the therapies for anyone using Medicaid. Estimates suggest the decision impacted approximately 9,000 Floridians.
