Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other lawmakers are pushing a hard-right agenda that would significantly impact transgender rights in the state, including expanding the 'Don't Say Gay' bill.
In the Florida State Senate, a proposed bill also allows officials to take "emergency jurisdiction" over children who receive or are at risk of receiving gender-affirming care. This bill would also affect those whose parents or siblings receive such care. Furthermore, Florida law would allow authorities to act outside the state.
Florida's Slew of New Bills
Jacksonville State Sen. Clay Yarborough introduced Senate Bill 254 on Friday, granting the court power to take emergency custody of children that fall under its standards. These are those who receive or are at risk of receiving gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgeries or procedures.
The bill allows the state to take custody of a child if it becomes necessary for an "emergency to protect the child." Furthermore, the court would be granted "jurisdiction to vacate, stay, or modify a child custody determination of a court of another state" to protect the child, as per Yahoo News.
The efforts come as gender-affirming health care for transgender individuals receives support from nearly all major accredited medical organizations. The recently proposed bill also faced criticism from advocacy groups and legal experts.
They argued that it violates the rights of transgender and non-conforming children and infringes on parents' rights to make healthcare decisions for their children. A former staff attorney at the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, Alejandra Caraballo, the proposed bill would allow for the "legal kidnapping" of transgender children.
She argues that the bill would violate interstate comity by authorizing the courts to vacate child custody determinations of other courts, but only if the child is trans. Caraballo added that the legislation greenlights transphobic family members to be involved in state-sponsored kidnapping.
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Transgender Rights
On the other hand, other Florida legislators proposed new laws that would reshape K-12 and higher education within the state. The bills require teachers to use pronouns that match children's sex that was assigned at birth and to establish a universal school choice voucher program, according to the Washington Post.
A cast of GOP state representatives filed half a dozen bills shortly before the launch of the state's legislative session on Tuesday. Lawmakers made other proposals, including removing college majors in gender studies, canceling diversity efforts for tenured faculty at universities and job protections, and strengthening parents' ability to veto K-12 class materials.
In a statement, state Republican Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said that whether it was education or health, keeping parents in the dark was unacceptable. She argued that schools should teach young children to respect and obey their parents, not hide crucial information.
This year, there is added pressure on GOP lawmakers due to DeSantis preparing for a potential 2024 presidential run. Politico said his announcement is expected to come in late spring after state officials complete the legislative session.
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