All,
I didn't think that I would be putting out any Action Alerts during the summer, but I forgot that DeSantis never stops in his quest to rip away rights and freedoms from Floridians. His latest ongoing cruel war is against the transgender community as he continues to literally try and erase their ability to exist. So your help is needed and here is why:
Several weeks ago, DeSantis ordered the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to develop a rule that denies Medicaid coverage for lifesaving, gender-affirming care to transgender Floridians. Now he has instructed the FL Dept. of Health, led by his Surgeon General lapdog (Ladapo), to propose the rule "standard of banned care" that will be heard by the FL Board of Medicine on Friday, Aug. 5. This is DeSantis' way of pressuring Board of Medicine members to ignore their best medical judgment and fall in line to:
Ban puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery under age 18 for gender dysphoria,
Require informed consent forms and at least a 24 hour waiting period for adults seeking those treatments, and
Vaguely permit some form of "appropriate care" for individuals currently receiving such care, without confirming their current care would continue to be available whether they are currently in-state or folks moving into the state.
Please note this proposed rule not only includes interfering with healthcare decisions made by parents for their own children, which is bad enough, it also interferes with the ability of adults to make their own healthcare decisions regarding safe and approved treatments! Where have we previously seen 24-hour waiting period requirements imposed on adults before they can access safe and medically approved medical treatments? Right! When the state of Florida was ripping away reproductive freedoms for women!
This is outrageous! DeSantis and his authoritarian allies must be stopped. We need you to send a message to the FL Board of Medicine before their meeting on Aug. 5 and let them know to reject efforts to end gender-affirming care for transgender youth and adults. Equality Florida, the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida's LGBTQ community, has created a form that you can easily send by clicking on this link: Tell the FL Board of Medicine to Reject Efforts to End Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth (eqfl.org). The message is centered around children, but you can edit it and express your outrage the state (again!) wants to interfere with private adult healthcare decisions. You can also share this Facebook post that will drive your friends to the form.
Finally, if you are interested in attending the August 5 meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, please RSVP at this Mobilize link Stop the Board of Medicine from Ending Gender-Affirming Care for Trans People · Equality Florida (mobilize.us). If you would like to provide personal testimony, please contact Mary Eakins (mary@equalityflorida.org).
Thank you,
Jean Siebenaler
LEGISLATIVE CHAIR, DEMOCRATIC WOMEN'S CLUB OF FLORIDA
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