On October 28, 2022, the Florida Board of Medication started its assembly by letting 9 individuals, one after the opposite, speak about why they believed that they had made a mistake in looking for gender-affirming care. Their testimony was painful to take heed to as every recounted their tales.
As a father or mother of a transgender youngster for whom gender affirming care has been lifesaving, nothing about their tales resonated with my household’s expertise. My youngster hasn’t suffered abuse or been the sufferer of assault. My youngster wasn’t instantly given gender-affirming hormones. As a substitute, all the things we have now skilled has been considerate, deliberate, and knowledgeable.
Whereas I really feel sorry for the 9 individuals who imagine they made a mistake it doesn’t negate the steerage of the American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Affiliation of Medical Endocrinology, and the World Skilled Affiliation for Transgender Well being. As a substitute of counting on the judgement of those main medical associations, the Board of Medication selected November 4 to start the rule making course of to ban physicians in Florida from offering gender-affirming medical remedy to minors experiencing gender dysphoria (a way of alienation to some or all of the bodily traits or social roles of 1’s assigned gender, which may trigger misery).
What’s gender-affirming care? Gender-affirming care is a life-saving course of. It doesn’t make somebody transgender. It isn’t essentially about medication or surgical procedure. Gender-affirming care is individualized. Some minors start gender-affirming care and are available to the choice that their gender aligns with that of their reproductive organs. Some minors start gender-affirming care and are available to the choice that their gender aligns in some methods with that of their reproductive organs and in some methods not. Some minors start gender-affirming care and are available to the choice that their gender doesn’t align with their reproductive organs.
The Florida Board of Medication singled out puberty blockers as harmful, disregarding 40 years of knowledge on their use to deal with precocious puberty. What do puberty blockers do? They offer transgender minors a pause on puberty. They offer them an opportunity to determine whether or not they’re transgender or whether or not one thing else is a contributing issue to their gender dysphoria. Receiving medical care is finished in in session with therapists who attend to an individual’s psychological well being. However no quantity of speaking goes to make a transgender minor not transgender. As a substitute, puberty blockers and hormones given in session with medical employees and knowledgeable parental consent saves lives.
So, what did the Board of Medication do? They determined that minors should expertise puberty that aligns with their reproductive organs even when it makes them suicidal. Is that basically the society we wish to be? As a father or mother of a transgender youngster, I say no. My youngster is greater than his reproductive organs. He’s humorous, sensible, variety, and one of many two best joys in my life (the opposite is his sister).
I thank the heavens above day by day for his presence; I really like him simply the way in which he’s, which is a transgender individual. Gender-affirming care each social and medical has saved his life. I’m unhappy, scared, and offended in regards to the Florida Board of Medication’s resolution. I hope you might be too after studying this.
If you wish to make public remark in regards to the proposed rule, please go to https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/View_notice.asp?id=26536889.
Jen Koslow is a Florida citizen and father or mother.
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