Today marks 15 days since Florida's legislature banned most adult trans care. People continue to be unable to obtain their medications. People are suffering and turning to alternate means.
Now is our time to fight. St. Pete Pride is the largest pride in the Southeast United States, and we have a huge queer population and acceptance here like no where else I've ever been. Every time I walk the streets of downtown St Pete, I see queer couples of all shades openly holding hands in front of businesses with pride flags on display.
Nadine Smith, the director of Equality FL, said l at a gala I went to that she fought for the last 30 years in Tallahassee and for 27 of those years, no major anti lgbtq bills were passed. The mass exodus isn't the scalable answer like you said in your article.
We need the opposite, I want trans people from all over the country to come join us in the Trans March on June 24. As the Communications Director of the LGBTQ Democratic Caucus in FL, I'm not leaving. I'm a trans woman of color and this is my beautiful and queer home, and I want you to join us.
I am calling for a Transgender March to the United Nations and an appeal to the UN Secretary General to declare Florida and Tennessee International Danger Zones for Travel by GLBTQI+ people and families on the basis of their open policy of Cultural Genocide of all Transgender people.
I’m honestly so close to just giving up. I can’t afford to move out of Florida. If I could afford it, it doesn’t matter anyway because I’m stuck in a lease for another 13 months. I’m already bitchy and moody what seems like every hour that I’m awake. I can’t stand fucking people anymore especially rude motherfuckers in my complex who can’t as much say hello to me anymore since one of my neighbors thought it was her civic duty to warn people here I was trans as if I’m a serial killer. I’m just done. My life has been less than stellar since I was born trans anyway. So many people say “well you chose this” my question for them is “who the fuck would choose this life”.
Everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that even though a person on HRT does make it through the state gatekeeping rigors, there is the fact that the state now has a detailed ID and status of them as being Trans. Besides it being against that persons privacy to have that fact hidden or not have to be open about being Trans, they now can be called on to do whatever the state wants, such as wearing a sign publicly that they are trans.
The situation in Florida is truly horrifying. Just reading the denial-of-care letters is sickening. So if not successfully counteracted, I guess this legislation means that state governments can deny care to any vulnerable group whose medical diagnoses or treatments are deemed politically incorrect? What a horrifying precedent. Thank you Erin for the excellent journalistic reporting, as always. It’s good that there are legal efforts to challenge this. I wonder what the chances of success with this route are? Such legal efforts were successful with the situation in Missouri. These are patients whose lives and health are at risk and they need care.
I'm fortunate. I take a pretty low dose of T, and either the nurse or the pharmacy made an error the last time my prescription was refilled, and they provided me with 10x the amount I usually take, so I was able to stockpile my testosterone. I have enough to last me for probably another 2-3 months, but I have friends who are not so fortunate, who are already unable to get their existing prescriptions refilled, and friends with trans kids, and we're all having to choose between uprooting our lives and facing the uncertainty of moving out of the state or staying in the state with all of this hate and all of these legal barriers put in place by our state. It's not so easy to break a housing lease, or to find a new job and a new place to live and pay for moving expenses and relocate, but I know at least four people who either have already relocated or who are planning to do so very soon. This violence being perpetrated against us by our state is frightening in both its scope and its swiftness and intensity. I watched the committee hearings and floor sessions, and the rhetoric coming out of the mouths of elected officials was disgusting and disheartening and chilling. I'm hopeful that the judge hearing the legal challenge at 2pm this Thursday will issue a stay to pause the implementation of SB 254 while it moves through the courts, especially given the fact that we KNOW and have evidence to show that the so-called science on which the law and administrative rules have been based was intentionally skewed for the purposes of eliminating transgender healthcare in Florida altogether. It's a mess. A frightening, horrible, unpleasant mess. And it's bad for all of us, not just in Florida, but in all of the places facing these threats from our own governments. And it is incredibly hard to fight in places where the courts have been stacked by conservative governors and by Trump, but right now, it feels like the courts are our last, best hopes.
I don’t know what I would do if this happened to me probably some kind of cyber action because I wouldn’t put up with forced detransition after being on HRT almost 3 decades
The situation is dire for many of us in Florida. I have had many people contact me for information on doctors that will provide GAT (HRT) and others that are leaving the state because of their children or their safety. I also know a lot of people that cannot escape.
I live along the Space Coast and, until the recent restricting, was in Randy Fine's district. (Yes, the "erase a community" Randy Fine.) Florida is my home. I was born in Miami. I don't want to have to flee my home. I don't particularly appreciate seeing my trans and LGBTQ+ siblings in fear. I cannot abide Randy Fine's ambition for the State Senate to go unopposed. Florida is about to have its second openly transgender woman running for State Senate.
Thank you, Erin, for introducing Representative Zooey Zephyr to us. It is through following her career and other trailblazers like Senator Sara McBride and Melina Farley-Barratt that the spark began to kindle within me. I'll be filling next week.
There is a resistance growing in Florida. Like a Phoenix out of the ashes, we are rising. After this past year, it is time for Florida to have transgender representation in the legislature.
Thank goodness you actually interview trans people in Florida. That's something you won't see something on Mainstream media who just ignore this issue. I feel truly awful for these trans folks.
The short-term solution to this problem is legal, and even that will probably take months, if not years. If an injunction is obtained, which seems likely, trans people in Florida will still live under a very dark cloud until the matter is resolved.
This is why I have always advocated leaving the state. When it's a matter of survival, if the situation requires it, you drop everything and just get out. This is not unlike the situation in Nazi Germany. If the Jews sat around thinking, "I need to finish my degree," "I have a good job," or "I can't get a good price on my house" ... Difficult and painful are a far cry from impossible.
I'm describing a Diaspora; and my heart sinks as I write it. We need to help and support these people in all the little (and big) ways we can. There are a number of GoFundMe accounts currently seeking help to leave the State. Each little gift helps someone, and is better than doing nothing.
We must fight for justice, here. This is discrimination, making arbitrary laws based on some people's opinions that reject others' very identities. This is *NOT* OK. F DeSantis.
Now is our time to fight. St. Pete Pride is the largest pride in the Southeast United States, and we have a huge queer population and acceptance here like no where else I've ever been. Every time I walk the streets of downtown St Pete, I see queer couples of all shades openly holding hands in front of businesses with pride flags on display.
Nadine Smith, the director of Equality FL, said l at a gala I went to that she fought for the last 30 years in Tallahassee and for 27 of those years, no major anti lgbtq bills were passed. The mass exodus isn't the scalable answer like you said in your article.
We need the opposite, I want trans people from all over the country to come join us in the Trans March on June 24. As the Communications Director of the LGBTQ Democratic Caucus in FL, I'm not leaving. I'm a trans woman of color and this is my beautiful and queer home, and I want you to join us.
I am calling for a Transgender March to the United Nations and an appeal to the UN Secretary General to declare Florida and Tennessee International Danger Zones for Travel by GLBTQI+ people and families on the basis of their open policy of Cultural Genocide of all Transgender people.
Anyone supporting this action can contact me at britfether@aol.com
I'm terrified that Gianforte is going to try to follow DeSantis' footsteps and lead Montanans to a similar situation.
I’m honestly so close to just giving up. I can’t afford to move out of Florida. If I could afford it, it doesn’t matter anyway because I’m stuck in a lease for another 13 months. I’m already bitchy and moody what seems like every hour that I’m awake. I can’t stand fucking people anymore especially rude motherfuckers in my complex who can’t as much say hello to me anymore since one of my neighbors thought it was her civic duty to warn people here I was trans as if I’m a serial killer. I’m just done. My life has been less than stellar since I was born trans anyway. So many people say “well you chose this” my question for them is “who the fuck would choose this life”.
Everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that even though a person on HRT does make it through the state gatekeeping rigors, there is the fact that the state now has a detailed ID and status of them as being Trans. Besides it being against that persons privacy to have that fact hidden or not have to be open about being Trans, they now can be called on to do whatever the state wants, such as wearing a sign publicly that they are trans.
This is basic blackmail.
The situation in Florida is truly horrifying. Just reading the denial-of-care letters is sickening. So if not successfully counteracted, I guess this legislation means that state governments can deny care to any vulnerable group whose medical diagnoses or treatments are deemed politically incorrect? What a horrifying precedent. Thank you Erin for the excellent journalistic reporting, as always. It’s good that there are legal efforts to challenge this. I wonder what the chances of success with this route are? Such legal efforts were successful with the situation in Missouri. These are patients whose lives and health are at risk and they need care.
I'm fortunate. I take a pretty low dose of T, and either the nurse or the pharmacy made an error the last time my prescription was refilled, and they provided me with 10x the amount I usually take, so I was able to stockpile my testosterone. I have enough to last me for probably another 2-3 months, but I have friends who are not so fortunate, who are already unable to get their existing prescriptions refilled, and friends with trans kids, and we're all having to choose between uprooting our lives and facing the uncertainty of moving out of the state or staying in the state with all of this hate and all of these legal barriers put in place by our state. It's not so easy to break a housing lease, or to find a new job and a new place to live and pay for moving expenses and relocate, but I know at least four people who either have already relocated or who are planning to do so very soon. This violence being perpetrated against us by our state is frightening in both its scope and its swiftness and intensity. I watched the committee hearings and floor sessions, and the rhetoric coming out of the mouths of elected officials was disgusting and disheartening and chilling. I'm hopeful that the judge hearing the legal challenge at 2pm this Thursday will issue a stay to pause the implementation of SB 254 while it moves through the courts, especially given the fact that we KNOW and have evidence to show that the so-called science on which the law and administrative rules have been based was intentionally skewed for the purposes of eliminating transgender healthcare in Florida altogether. It's a mess. A frightening, horrible, unpleasant mess. And it's bad for all of us, not just in Florida, but in all of the places facing these threats from our own governments. And it is incredibly hard to fight in places where the courts have been stacked by conservative governors and by Trump, but right now, it feels like the courts are our last, best hopes.
This Pride Month is going to be one for the ages😤
Maybe Florida needs a workers walkout
I don’t know what I would do if this happened to me probably some kind of cyber action because I wouldn’t put up with forced detransition after being on HRT almost 3 decades
The situation is dire for many of us in Florida. I have had many people contact me for information on doctors that will provide GAT (HRT) and others that are leaving the state because of their children or their safety. I also know a lot of people that cannot escape.
I live along the Space Coast and, until the recent restricting, was in Randy Fine's district. (Yes, the "erase a community" Randy Fine.) Florida is my home. I was born in Miami. I don't want to have to flee my home. I don't particularly appreciate seeing my trans and LGBTQ+ siblings in fear. I cannot abide Randy Fine's ambition for the State Senate to go unopposed. Florida is about to have its second openly transgender woman running for State Senate.
Thank you, Erin, for introducing Representative Zooey Zephyr to us. It is through following her career and other trailblazers like Senator Sara McBride and Melina Farley-Barratt that the spark began to kindle within me. I'll be filling next week.
There is a resistance growing in Florida. Like a Phoenix out of the ashes, we are rising. After this past year, it is time for Florida to have transgender representation in the legislature.
Thank goodness you actually interview trans people in Florida. That's something you won't see something on Mainstream media who just ignore this issue. I feel truly awful for these trans folks.
The short-term solution to this problem is legal, and even that will probably take months, if not years. If an injunction is obtained, which seems likely, trans people in Florida will still live under a very dark cloud until the matter is resolved.
This is why I have always advocated leaving the state. When it's a matter of survival, if the situation requires it, you drop everything and just get out. This is not unlike the situation in Nazi Germany. If the Jews sat around thinking, "I need to finish my degree," "I have a good job," or "I can't get a good price on my house" ... Difficult and painful are a far cry from impossible.
I'm describing a Diaspora; and my heart sinks as I write it. We need to help and support these people in all the little (and big) ways we can. There are a number of GoFundMe accounts currently seeking help to leave the State. Each little gift helps someone, and is better than doing nothing.
We must fight for justice, here. This is discrimination, making arbitrary laws based on some people's opinions that reject others' very identities. This is *NOT* OK. F DeSantis.
Erin, do you have any information about legal challenges to the law in Florida?