TAMPA, Fla. — Heather St. Amand said her daughter came out to her at 12 years old.
And got the support she needed from the beginning.
“We were able to immediately speak with a doctor, get resources, and get referrals to speak with all the people, and build a medical team so I could make sure my daughter was supported.”
Her daughter, now 19, took puberty blockers when she was 12.
St. Amand disputes anyone who calls it child abuse, saying the effects are not irreversible.
“What to me is child abuse is not listening to your children when your child is saying they don’t want to be here anymore. My child was telling me they didn’t want to be here anymore so I’m sure going to take whatever steps I need to take to make sure that they stick around.”
But St. Amand and her family are leaving Florida as a new rule goes into effect banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
With the support of Governor Ron DeSantis, state medical boards passed the rules banning puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries for minors.
Florida’s surgeon general Joseph Ladapo said the treatments are very risky.
“Every article you read in the Associated Press, or NBC, CBS, New York Times, what they like to say is every scientific body in the United States thinks this is what you should be doing for children. The reality is you look across the Atlantic in countries in Europe. Guess what they are doing? They’ve gone in the exact opposite direction. They’ve pulled back on these procedures because they are finding the risks are outweighing the benefits,” said Ladapo.
Those who go against the new gender-affirming care rules for minors could lose their medical license.
"These people want to make you believe that kids should have sex organs removed and receive completely experimental therapies that are very risky,” said Ladapo.
St. Amand said even though she’s moving out of state, she will continue to be an advocate for the trans community in Florida and fight against the governor’s agenda.
“He’s further othering an already marginalized group of individuals. He is making it even tougher for them just to exist,” said St. Amand.
