23 Comments

It's such a tragedy. Thank you for putting this together, Erin. A few days ago, I tried to pull out basic information from the Florida bill itself —

https://tuckerlieberman.medium.com/florida-gender-affirming-care-custody-trans-kids-55c5310441cd?sk=2fe698ed4198e71c51c94422038c2533

— but the information you've got here is more specific. Medical organizations having really hard conversations now. The (dis)informational forms they'll have to print up. Heartbreaking. These are real people's lives and bodies.

I updated my article on Medium just now to include a link to this Substack article of yours at the bottom.

Expand full comment
May 11, 2023Liked by Erin Reed

I’m in Florida and get care from an MD. They’re suspending care until they can get a better handle on how their insurance is going to be effected. The civil liability clause at the end of this law about being able to sue if your detransition could essentially price a lot of small practices out if it hits their liability premiums. So even if you have an MD or DO, they may not be able to keep prescribing. It’s insane.

Expand full comment
May 11, 2023Liked by Erin Reed

I almost moved to Miami last year but decided to go to Denver on a whim, and wow did I dodge a bullet! I grew up in Texas, and it feels like Florida has taken the title from Texas as the most obnoxiously problematic state in the South. So sorry for my trans siblings who are stuck there :(

Expand full comment
May 11, 2023Liked by Erin Reed

It sounds like Florida is determined to effectively make adult gender-affirming health care impossible. Empty right-wing rhetoric to the contrary, we all know it was NEVER just about the kids. They were always determined to come for adult care. This is horrifying. I just hope, as with similar efforts in Missouri, there will be a way to challenge and block this stuff in court

Expand full comment

Ron Desantis has taken what was one of the most beautiful states and turned it into a cesspool

Expand full comment

Erin,thanks for the work you're doing. I'm working on publishing a paper that deals specifically with Christian nationalism and trans legislation in Montana (I'm a teacher so it started out looking at HB 234 but has ballooned since). I adopted you as a new sister after watching you field those questions on C-Span. (I couldn't have done it so calmly so kudos.) My question for you is that do you think they know that this is going to get beat in courts and are just trying to rile up the base to oust Tester or do they believe they have their activist judges in place and can actually turn this place into a bigoted Christian hellscape?

Expand full comment
May 11, 2023·edited May 11, 2023

Do you know if this is more or less likely [than other bills] to stand up to constitutional scrutiny? My feeling is that it would stand up to more scrutiny because it doesn't ban care, just makes it near impossible to get by imposing a limit on who can provide it.

Expand full comment

As a Florida resident, and someone who went to the Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine meeting in February in Tallahassee, these people enacting these laws do not care how many of us they harm. The only way these laws will fall is through litigation in the courts. I presented the Boards with over 35 scholarly articles that show the safety and efficacy of gender affirming health care, and they ignored them. Additionally, I provided my expert opinion in written comments on the website the legislature provided for such comments. Furthermore, they have taken one or two opposing views from the literature and have generalized them in a way that they say supports their view that gender affirming health care is harmful. They twisted the facts to suit their agenda. Their agenda, of course, is to erase us from society; to further marginalize us.

Expand full comment

This is what happens when your government goes on crusade.

The way out of this is to reframe the discussion; but, honestly, there is so much ill-feeling on the Right that I think it will be a while before anyone on that side is ready to listen. They think they know all they need to know about this subject, and they aren't listening. Underlying it all is the vision of five- and six-year-olds having their genitals removed and their bodies permanently poisoned by demonic physicians. In other words, hell on earth. They are saving the children, and they are committed.

The courts are going to settle this, and, I believe, we are going to win the cases; but that doesn't mean we will win the war -- because nobody wins this war. For this war to truly be won, both sides must win; and that can only come through understanding. Right now, the Right has a vision of us that is unreal, and our side has expectations that are unreal (I know, nobody wants to admit to that). Neither side understands this fight -- at least, the people staging the fights don't seem to. The generals set up the battles, and the rank-and-file spend their blood.

Expand full comment

Requiring a medical care organization to provide false consent form should be made a federal crime. Is the Florida legislature full of idiots?

Expand full comment

Hey Erin! Thank you for this. I was wondering - is there a way to submit updates to the informed consent map? I know some local stuff has changed in my neck of the woods.

Expand full comment

Leave us alone there will not be any more warning !

Expand full comment

Thanks for doing such great reporting Erin! One question...I'm confused why the PP FAQ link is to PPSP (Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania) when the article is talking about Florida?

Expand full comment