A federal judge has struck down a Florida law that banned gender-affirming care for transgender minors and imposed severe restrictions on such treatments for adults, ruling it unconstitutional. The decision, made by Senior Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee, emphasized that transgender individuals are entitled to legitimate medical care. Hinkle barred the state from prohibiting puberty blockers and hormonal treatments for minors with parental consent, and from limiting care for adults to only doctors, excluding nurses and other medical practitioners. Online treatment bans for transgender adults were also nullified.
Governor Ron DeSantis, who signed the law in 2023 ahead of his presidential campaign, vowed to appeal the decision, defending the legislature's intentions to protect children. Conversely, plaintiffs and advocacy groups celebrated the ruling, highlighting its protection for medical rights and personal autonomy in healthcare decisions. Florida now joins the contentious national landscape where numerous states have enacted similar restrictive measures, many of which are currently under legal challenge.