A Florida mother tearfully testified that her family could be torn apart if the state’s ban on trans health care for children is allowed to take effect

The mother of a transgender girl sobbed in federal court Wednesday as she contemplated having to move away from her Navy officer husband to get health care for her 12-year-old if Florida’s ban on gender dysphoria treatments for minors is allowed to take affect.

The woman, who testified as Jane Doe to protect the identity of her child, said her daughter went from being anxious and upset to a thriving, happy straight-A student after being allowed to live as a girl about eight years ago, a decision she made with her husband after multiple visits to their family’s doctor.

But as the girl approaches puberty, she fears she will start turning into a boy. Without treatment, she and her family will be devasted, the mother said.

“I will go to the end of the Earth to get my daughter the help she needs,” the woman testified through sobs as she pulled facial tissues from a box. “I think about, will our family get torn apart? Will we have to live somewhere else away from my husband?"

  • Rexios
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    11 months ago

    I’m trying to ask this in as good faith as possible, but is it really possible to diagnose a three year old with gender dysphoria? That seems a little early to decide on locking a child into one of two gender norms.

    • ashok36@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Maybe not, but the"treatment" at that at age is simply treating them as the gender of their choice. If 8 years later, when they’re about to start puberty, they still maintain their gender identification then yeah, that’s probably a pretty good sign it’s for real.

    • Alien Nathan Edward
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      11 months ago

      that seems a little early to decide on locking a child into one of two gender norms.

      almost everyone gets locked into one or the other before they’re even born. this is yet another thing that goes completely unquestioned if its done in a cis way but gets the highest possible level of scrutiny if its done in a trans way. besides, to focus on the age the child was when they started being allowed to live as they want to is to ignore the fact that the child is 12 and happy living as they want to now. this isn’t about a three year old, that three year old doesn’t exist anymore. this is about politicians with an agenda overriding the will of a child, that child’s parents and the entire medical community to fulfill that agenda.