A federal trial concluded challenging Florida’s SB 254, the first state law attempting to deprive transgender adults of healthcare. Florida SB 254 & related Boards of Medicine rules restrict access to medical care for transgender adults & criminally ban medical care for transgender adolescents. Plaintiff Lucien Hamel testified that SB 254 has prevented him from being able to access necessary care for himself as an adult anywhere in Florida. Hamel stated, “Being forced to abruptly stop my medical care this summer has been devastating for both me & my family. I received my care from a competent medical provider that I really trusted. Then I was told that Florida law suddenly won’t let APRNs & Nurse Practitioners provide the care I need. I can’t get an appointment with a physician anywhere in the state. There’s no medical basis for this change – it’s just preventing transgender Floridians like me from getting care. I’m scared & frustrated because I know my health will continue to decline the longer I have to wait, putting incredible stress on me, my wife & our child.” Shannon Minter, Legal Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights concluded, ”As the testimony presented in this trial overwhelmingly showed, there is no medical basis for this dangerous & unprecedented law, which has taken the extreme step of restricting medically necessary care even for adults & imposing criminal penalties on doctors & other health care professionals simply for doing their jobs. This is massive government overreach & it should be permanently enjoined.” Plaintiffs’ attorneys included GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Southern Legal Counsel (SLC) & Lowenstein Sandler LLP
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