Mother in tears as she testifies that Ron DeSantis is ripping her family apart

The trial in a case challenging Florida’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors began in federal court this week with moving testimony from the mother of a transgender girl.

According to the Associated Press, the woman, identified as Jane Doe to protect her daughter’s identity, sobbed on the witness stand at the thought of being forced to leave the state, where her husband, a Navy officer, is stationed, if the anti-trans law goes into effect.

Related:

Transgender people want out of Florida according to new survey

Most LGBTQ+ people in the state say the state’s attacks on trans rights make them feel less safe.

“I will go to the end of the Earth to get my daughter the help she needs,” she said. “I think about, will our family get torn apart? Will we have to live somewhere else away from my husband?”

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed S.B. 254 into law in May, along with a slate of other anti-LGBTQ+ bills. The law bans minors from accessing gender-affirming healthcare like puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and gender-affirming surgeries (which are almost never performed on people under the age of 18). It also requires transgender adults to access gender-affirming care through physicians rather than certified nurse practitioners, who make up the majority of healthcare professionals providing such care in the state.

In June, Judge Robert Hinkle temporarily blocked the portions of the law affecting minors while the lawsuit challenging S.B. 254 plays out. However, he denied a motion to block the restrictions on adult access to gender-affirming care in September.

In his May decision, Hinkle noted that puberty blockers and HRT are standard treatments for gender dysphoria “widely followed by well-trained clinicians” and endorsed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, as well as numerous major U.S. healthcare organizations.

“Denial of this treatment will cause needless suffering for a substantial number of patients and will increase anxiety, depression, and the risk of suicide,” he wrote.

On Wednesday, Jane Doe testified that prior to transitioning, her daughter was anxious and upset but has since gone on to become a happy straight-A student. But as puberty approaches, her daughter now fears being forced to detransition under the Florida law. That, she said, would have devastating consequences for her family.

Thomas Redburn, a lawyer representing Jane Doe and other parents of transgender kids, argued that S.B. 254 is unconstitutional, noting that it restricts trans people from accessing treatment, like HRT, which cisgender people access easily.

“The state of Florida has decided that people should not be transgender,” Redburn said. “The fewer transgender people, the better.”

He also laid the blame for the law squarely on DeSantis, noting the 2024 Republican presidential hopeful’s attention-grabbing crusade against LGBTQ+ people in Florida.

“This all started with the governor,” Redburn said.

In his opening statements, Mohammad Jazil, a lawyer representing the state, characterized gender-affirming care as under-regulated. He noted instances of people detransitioning as well as the risk of infertility associated with gender-affirming medication.

“The benefits for my daughter far outweigh the potential of the risks,” Jane Doe testified. “Her biggest fear is what she calls turning into a boy. I’ve assured her that won’t happen.”