On Friday August 5th, the Florida Board of Medicine went against all scientific and medical protocols, as well as the lived experiences of transgender people, when they moved forward with rule-making that would ban gender-affirming care for Transgender youth. This is part of continued attacks on the Trans community by the Florida legislature over the past two years, collectively intended to make invisible the broader LGBTQ+ community.

Medical evidence showcases that gender-affirming care has the highest success and satisfaction rate of any medical procedure, and that it drastically improves the lives of transgender patients by reducing suicide rates, improving mental health, and increasing overall quality of life.

I have been on HRT for seven years. It helped to propel me through my master’s program in public health and empowered me to become an advocate for my community. The oppression of the Transgender community is due to the lack of gender-affirming care — not because of it.

The far right seeks to deny Transgender youth autonomy over their own bodies by claiming that minors are “too young” to decide who they are. This claim denies historical reality. Throughout history it has been youth and young adults that have advanced our society. During the Civil Rights movement, youth convinced their parents to support racial equality. Today, youth are on the forefront of fighting against school shootings and climate change. 

The Transgender community has existed since the dawn of time, and we have been supported by many cultures and religions. Many societies have acknowledged the idea of infinite gender identities (instead of the binary enforced by western colonial states).

We must not allow the DeSantis government to dictate people’s bodies or to make up their own guidelines for gender-affirming care – especially

with their clear lack of respect for medical and scientific evidence. We must fight back against the white supremacist faction of Ron DeSantis, and fight for a Florida that affirms our Transgender community and embraces the reality of gender diversity.