Florida Appeals Court Hears Arguments On Gender-Affirming Care Ban

Supporters of transgender rights Sarah Kolick, left, of Cleveland, and Derek Torstenson, of Colorado Springs, Colo., right, rally by the Supreme Court, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Washington, while ar

Attorneys for the state of Florida presented oral arguments before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Miami on Wednesday, challenging a lower-court judge's decision to block a law that prohibits gender-affirming care for minors and imposes restrictions on similar care for adults. The law, which bans transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers and hormonal treatments, also mandates that transgender adults only receive treatment from a physician and not from other medical practitioners.

The law, enacted in May 2023, has been the subject of legal battles, with a U.S. District Judge blocking it last June. However, a three-judge panel later stayed the lower court order, allowing the ban to remain in effect while the matter is appealed.

For minors, the law specifically targets puberty-blocking treatments and cross-sex hormones, with exceptions made for those already undergoing treatment when the law was implemented. Surgery for minors remains prohibited under the law.

During the appeals hearing, the state's attorney argued that the law was not motivated by discrimination but rather by a need for stringent regulation of gender-affirming treatments. The attorney contended that the lower court judge erred in concluding that the law was driven by hostility towards transgender individuals.

Oral arguments presented in 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Miami.

Florida law prohibits gender-affirming care for minors and restricts care for adults.

Law bans transgender minors from puberty blockers and hormonal treatments.

On the other side, attorneys representing plaintiffs challenging the ban argued that the law was unconstitutional and discriminatory. They pointed to other legislative actions in Florida, such as a law preventing public school employees from using preferred pronouns, as evidence of a broader anti-transgender agenda.

The case in Florida is closely watched as it mirrors similar legal battles in other states. At least 26 states have passed laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, with many facing legal challenges. The outcome of the Supreme Court's review of a similar ban in Tennessee could have implications for these laws across the country.

As the legal proceedings continue, the debate over gender-affirming care for minors and adults remains a contentious issue, with advocates on both sides closely monitoring the developments in the courts.