Arguments set on Florida trans treatment restrictions
TALLAHASSEE - A federal appeals court will hear arguments on Jan. 15 in a battle about Florida's restrictions on treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for people with gender dysphoria.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals scheduled a hearing in a lawsuit filed by attorneys for a transgender man and the parents of transgender children. The hearing will be held in Miami.
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in June issued an injunction against the restrictions, which were approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2023. Hinkle found, in part, that the restrictions were motivated by "animus" toward transgender people and violated equal-protection rights.
The state appealed Hinkle's decision and asked for a stay of the injunction. A divided panel of the appeals court in August granted the stay, effectively allowing the restrictions to be in effect while the legal fight continued.
The 2023 law prevented minors from beginning to receive puberty blockers and hormone therapy for the treatment of gender dysphoria. Also, it allowed only physicians - not nurse practitioners - to approve hormone therapy for adults and barred the use of telehealth for new prescriptions.
Opponents argued, in part, that the restrictions reduced access to hormone therapy for adults. DeSantis' administration has long disputed arguments about the effectiveness of gender-dysphoria treatments, particularly for minors.
