NBC's Jo Yurcaba: Florida's youth gender-affirming care ban “less of a medical debate and more of a backlash from conservative religious groups”
Yurcaba: “Their goal, they’ve said, is not about better research, it's to stop trans people's access to medical care”
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From the March 17, 2023, edition of MSNBC's Chris Jansing Reports
CHRIS JANSING (HOST): Florida has now become the eighth state to restrict transition related medical care for minors, banning them from starting puberty blockers or hormone therapy. Seven other states have similar rules and we can only expect the number to grow, other states have similar bills moving through the legislature as we speak. I want to bring in our NBC's Jo Yurcaba who reported this story. Jo, what can you tell us about the rule in Florida and what are the practical implications?
JO YURCABA (NBC REPORTER) : Sure, so in practical terms, medical providers in the state won't be able to prescribe puberty blockers or hormone therapy to minors for the treatment of gender dysphoria if they were not already receiving it before Thursday. And the rule bars surgeries for minors as well, but doctors in the state have said that they already, minors already weren't able to receive that. And if providers violate this rule, they could be subject to a list of penalties, including a fine or the suspension or revocation of their medical license.
JANSING: You also report that we are expecting to see legal challenges, no surprise there. What can you tell us about them?
YURCABA: Sure. A group of parents represented by advocacy groups including the Southern Legal Counsel and the Human Rights Campaign have said that they already plan to file a lawsuit in a federal court soon to block the rule and they have described the rule as discriminatory
JANSING: One parent told you, in this report that you did, our daughter is a happy, confident child, but denying her access to the medical care recommended by her doctors would completely disrupt her life. I'm devastated by what this will mean for her physical and mental health. But in the meantime, a member of the Board of Medicine in Florida, that made the decision, said it is not against care for transgender children but some therapies have been shown to create what they call irreversible harm. Is there a legitimate debate going on within the medical community outside of the political realm?
YURCABA: So, not exactly. It's less of a medical debate and more of a backlash from conservative religious groups, because in the U.S., all major medical organizations support access to gender affirming care for minors. Some countries like Sweden have restricted access to care while they conduct more long term research but none have banned it. And so the groups who largely support these efforts to restrict care are conservative religious groups and they say that their ultimate goal is to restrict trans rights more broadly. For example, Terry Schilling, the president of the American Principals Project recently told the New York Times that this initial focus on children was a matter of, quote, going where the consensus is. So their goal, they’ve said, is not about better research, it's to stop trans people's access to medical care more broadly.
JANSING: Jo, thank you so much. Appreciate you being on the program.