TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — One of the most controversial topics that may be addressed in multiple bills during the 2023 Florida Legislative session will be LGBTQ+ rights, and some are worried the proposals could disproportionately affect transgender people.
Deemed transphobic by activist groups, Florida republicans have spearheaded these bills in hopes of eliminating practices such as gender-affirming care and the use of preferred pronouns in school.
HB 1423 - Protection of Children
A possible response to the Orlando "Drag Queen Story Hour" controversy, this bill would allow the state to fine or strip licenses from businesses that admit children to "adult live performances" which depict or simulate "nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, specific sexual activities," and more.
Contention surrounding drag shows seemed to only grow in 2022. In December, a group of Neo-Nazis targeted a Lakeland drag show; they hurled insults, projected inappropriate content onto the side of the building and displayed Nazi symbols.
Advocacy organization ADL reported that all 25 murders committed by extremists last year had ties to forms of right-wing extremism, including "white supremacy, anti-government extremism and right-wing conspiracy theorists."
Governor Ron DeSantis also criticized a Miami bar last summer when a video of children at a drag event for families began circulating online. Gov. DeSantis claimed their participation in the show was a "disturbing trend in our society to try to sexualize these young people."
SB 1320 - Child Protection in Public Schools
Dubbed "Child Protection in Public Schools," this bill would forbid teachers from providing or asking a student for preferred pronouns.
Additionally, it would ban school personnel or third parties from teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity in Pre-K through eighth grade. A process would be created for parents to object to specific content, and they would be able to review and approve materials.
Last month, Florida House Speaker Paul Renner requested information about "age-inappropriate" books in school libraries from Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis. Renner was asking for electronic and written communication between multiple people, as well as several documents, surrounding Juno Dawson's "This Book is Gay."
A description of the book on Amazon reads, "This candid, funny, and uncensored exploration of sexuality and what it's like to grow up LGBTQ also includes real stories from people across the gender and sexual spectrums, not to mention hilarious illustrations."
"These books have no place in our school system due to their graphic depiction of sexual conduct and step-by-step instructions of how to access digital sex apps on the internet," Renner said in a February statement.
SB 254 - Treatments for Sex-Reassignment
This proposal purports to "protect children from being subjected to sex-reassignment prescriptions and procedures.”
It would allow courts to issue temporary emergency jurisdiction over a child who is "at risk of or is being subjected to" gender-affirming care. Licensed healthcare facilities that offer such services would have to attest that they don't provide treatments to patients under 18, with exceptions for those with genetic or biochemical disorders as well as certain injuries or illnesses.
In November, the Florida Board of Medicine finalized its plan regarding gender-affirming care, with member Nicholas Romanello stating that the "risks outweigh the possible benefits."
Despite this, groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics advocate for gender-affirming care. They recommend taking a nonjudgmental approach that helps kids "feel safe in a society that too often marginalizes or stigmatizes those seen as different."
HB 1421 - Gender Clinical Interventions
This bill would codify what Florida's medical board did in 2022—restricting hormone therapies, puberty blockers and surgeries for trans minors under most circumstances.
Under this proposal, a doctor prescribing treatments for trans adults must get written consent and explain the current state of research and possible impacts on the patient. The bill would also prohibit state funds from being used for and limit insurance coverage of gender dysphoria treatments and prohibit someone from changing the sex on their birth certificate outside of certain circumstances.
Healthcare and insurance battles are already common for many transgender people. According to the latest U.S. Transgender Survey in Florida (2015), 20% of respondents experienced a problem in the past year with their insurance related to being transgender; 33% said they had a negative experience with a healthcare provider, and 25% said they didn’t see a doctor out of fear of being mistreated.
To help, the Tegan and Sara Foundation and GLMA launched the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory, a searchable database that allows patients to find healthcare providers who understand their needs.
