Florida GOP's New Anti-Trans Bill Is so Extreme It Could Ban Treatment for Breast Cancer

[Nevilledog]

https://newrepublic.com/post/171330/florida-gop-anti-trans-bill-extreme-ban-treatment-breast-cancer

No paywall
https://archive.is/WCZ2t

A Florida House of Representatives committee on Wednesday advanced an anti-trans bill that is so broad and so extreme that it could also prevent people from getting treated for breast cancer.

The bill passed the Healthcare Regulation Committee by a vote of 12-5 and now heads to the House for a vote. The measure is one of the cruelest in the country to target transgender and LGBTQ rights and care. It bans gender-affirming care for minors and would force them to medically detransition, or stop receiving treatments such as hormone therapy. But the bill’s vague wording has larger repercussions as well.

The text defines gender clinical interventions as “procedures or therapies that alter internal or external physical traits,” including surgeries that change “primary or secondary sexual characteristics.” During the debate, Democratic Representative Christine Hunschofsky pointed out that this could prevent people from getting treatment for breast cancer, as the overly broad language could apply to mastectomies.

Bill sponsor Randy Fine—who prior to being a Republican representative was a gambling industry executive, not a doctor—was surprised to learn that young people can get breast cancer.

By the same definition, people who need prostatectomies to treat prostate cancer could also be denied treatment. The bill also bans hormone treatments, which could potentially affect care for menopause, stunted growth, and birth control.

*snip*

[Ocelot II]

1. Birth control pills are hormone treatment, so none of that?

Would this outlaw circumcision? I know that's controversial, but it's a Jewish custom, so would this interfere with a protected religious practice?

The fundamental question, of course, is why the FL GOP wants to be so incredibly cruel to trans children and their families. They claim to be "protecting" them from harmful and permanent medical procedures, but gender surgery is almost never performed on minors, and hormone treatment is done only after much consultation with doctors and always with the consent of parents, who are just trying to do the right thing for their children. I just don't understand the hate for trans people.

[Nevilledog]

2. It's fascism. Pick a marginalized community and eradicate them.

Hitler did the same thing.

[Ocelot II]

3. Pretty much.

They've already used up most of the other marginalized communities as people to pick on for no good reason.

[Retrograde]

4. And medical people will err on the side of caution

just as we are now seeing with abortion restrictions. Doctors are afraid to interfere in potentially unviable pregnancies because they fear persecution: the same is likely to happen in Florida if this passes - but more so. You have breast cancer? Tough, we can't do mastectomies any more because that could alter a secondary sex characteristic. You have possibly malignant uterine tumors that could be treated by a hysterectomy? Well, you'll just have to keep bleeding since we can't alter your internal traits. Having a difficult menopause? Forget about hormone treatment and accept what our imaginary deity gives you.

The bill may be meant to be transphobic, but IMHO it smells of gynephobia as well

[Celerity]

5. Randy '10 pounds of christofascist shit in a 5 pound bag' Fine