Florida : Ron DeSantis's Transgender Care Ban Deemed Unconstitutional by Federal Judge
One of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' most controversial laws has now been reversed after a federal judge deemed the Republican governor's transgender care ban to be unconstitutional. The Republican-backed law not only banned gender-affirming care for children but also limited it to adults who will have a hard time getting such care in Florida.
US District Judge Robert L. Hinkle affirmed that "gender identity is real" and that the state cannot deny people their treatment. He then went on to state that the bias against transgender people is comparable to discrimination based on racism and misogyny.
"Florida has adopted a statute and rules that ban gender-affirming care for minors even when medically appropriate," wrote the judge in his decision. "The ban is unconstitutional."
According to the Washington Post, the lawsuit was filed by parents of transgender children and also transgender adults. They hailed the decision as a significant victory for the LGBTQ community as more and more states, especially ones with Republican governors, have been outlawing gender-transition care for minors. Florida was the first state to try and limit the care of adults.
The DeSantis transgender care ban did not allow nurses to prescribe hormones to transgender adults, though it did allow doctors to do so for transgender adults. However, there is a shortage of physicians in Florida, and this means that many people have had a hard time finding someone to treat them.
What Else Did the Judge Say Regarding Ron DeSantis's Florida Transgender Care Ban?
Judge Hinkle had plenty of things to say regarding the Florida transgender ban as he wrote a long 105-page decision regarding it, even reminding people that there is a separation of church and state.
"Some transgender opponents invoke religion to support their position, just as some once invoked religion to support their racism or misogyny," wrote the judge. "Transgender opponents are of course free to hold their beliefs. But they are not free to discriminate against transgender individuals just for being transgender."
"In time, discrimination against transgender individuals will diminish, just as racism and misogyny have diminished," he added. "To paraphrase a civil-rights advocate from an earlier time, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vowed to appeal Judge Hinkle's decision, calling it "erroneous."
However, on the other side, the decision was met with celebration, with Lucien Hamel, a transgender adult, telling the Associated Press, "I'm so relieved the court saw there is no medical basis for this law - it was passed just to target transgender people like me and try to push us out of Florida."
Miami Heat Legend Dwayne Wade Launches Online Transgender Community
Despite becoming a basketball legend while playing for Florida's winningest NBA team, Miami Heat all-time great Dwayne Wade is putting a lot of support for the transgender community.
Late last month, the NBA Hall of Famer launched a new online transgender community called Translatable. This was his way to support his transgender daughter, Zaya Wade, 17, who publicly came out as transgender in 2020. Wade explained that "he community wasn't here for Zaya" so he launched it.
READ NEXT: Florida Man Games Launch, Poke Fun at Sunshine State's Infamous Reputation
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Federal judge strikes down Florida law blocking treatment for transgender children - WPTV News - FL Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast