Florida Medical Board Votes to Ban Sex-Change Treatments for Minors

Written by Hudson Crozier

What’s happening: Florida’s state medical board voted Friday to ban puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone treatment, and gender transition surgeries for minors. Florida doctors who prescribe these treatments to children now risk losing their medical licenses unless the child is already receiving them. Psychotherapy will now be the standard treatment for children that suffer from gender dysphoria.

Why it matters: Despite most Americans opposing child sex changes, states like Florida have failed to pass bans through the legislature, so they have resorted to using executive power. While Gov. DeSantis’ ban could simply be reversed by the next governor, it serves as a temporary victory.

DeSantis’ mission: The Governor has repeatedly promised to ban “gender-affirming” treatments for kids and has appointed several executive officials who share that goal. His appointed medical board members initiated the vote after continual pressure from his surgeon general.

Detransitioners also played a role: A group of young detransitioners — people who regret transitioning — testified to the board committee about the life-altering effects of these treatments based on their own experiences. On the other side, medical professionals, trans-identifying people, and mothers argued that depriving children of this “care” will ruin their mental health, but the board wasn’t convinced.