The License to Discriminate in Healthcare Bill (HB 1403/SB 1580)
This bill prioritizes personal beliefs over patient well-being. It would allow healthcare providers and insurers to deny a patient care on the basis of religious, moral or ethical beliefs. It creates a license to discriminate by allowing healthcare employers to discriminate in hiring, and it bars medical Boards from disciplining doctors for spreading misinformation. No one should be denied access to critical medical care. Both have moved to the floor for a full vote. This LINK makes it easy to send a message to House lawmakers urging them to VOTE NO on HB 1403. Bill added to Special Order Calendar (4/25/2023)
The Anti-Trans Bathroom bill (HB 1521 / SB 1674) is on the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee agenda for 04/25/23, 10:00 am, 412 Knott Building
Here are the email addresses of everyone on the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee in case you want to write them and tell them to vote no on SB 1674 on April 25th when it is scheduled to be heard in their committee: Hutson.Travis@flsenate.gov, albritton.ben.web@flsenate.gov, berman.lori.web@flsenate.gov, boyd.jim.web@flsenate.gov, burton.colleen@flsenate.gov, calatayud.alexis@flsenate.gov,
jones.shevrin.web@flsenate.gov, mayfield.debbie.web@flsenate.gov, sgood.rosalind@flsenate.gov, simon.corey@flsenate.gov, thompson.geraldine.web@flsenate.gov, rodriguez.anamaria.web@flsenate.gov torres.victor.web@flsenate.gov, trumbull.jay@flsenate.gov, wright.tom@flsenate.gov, yarborough.clay@flsenate.gov
This is what I sent:
SB 1674 is on your committee's agenda for April 25th.
I think this could lead to harassment IF someone doesn't fit the stereotype of what a bully thinks a girl or boy should look like:
120 and refuses to immediately depart when asked to do so by another 121 person present in the restroom or changing facility commits a 122 misdemeanor of the second degree
I have heard of bullying occuring in the school restrooms but never by trans kids. I hope you'll keep in mind that "trans" is an adjective so a trans girl is a girl. Please have some compassion and quit passing these hateful bills.
The senate will vote on the following ones soon, but they have not (as of 4/23/2023) been added to the agenda.
A dangerous bill that will harm a vulnerable minority (HB 1421 / SB 254)
This bill includes government-forced detransition for trans minors currently accessing gender-affirming healthcare. It seeks to deny legal recognition via birth certificates for all ages, deny ALL gender-affirming care to minors, dramatically restrict access to care for adults, deny private insurance coverage to the extent care is available, and revoke licensure for health care providers who follow standards of medical care for transgender Floridians that are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and other leading medical authorities. The bill was also amended to allow courts to modify custody agreements in favor of a non-affirming parent and against the interest of an affirming parent, and to add a ban on the use of telehealth for gender-affirming care for trans adults. This bill passed the House as amended and is returning to the Senate for their vote on the bill as amended.
Please write your Senator and tell them to vote NO: https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find
OR consider cutting and pasting and sending a similar email to ALL the Senators.
Subject: SB 254 is coming back to the Senate. Please vote NO!
To: <albritton.ben.web@flsenate.gov>, <Avila.Bryan.web@flsenate.gov>, <baxley.dennis.web@flsenate.gov>, <berman.lori.web@flsenate.gov>, <book.lauren.web@flsenate.gov>, <boyd.jim.web@flsenate.gov>, Bradley, Jennifer (Web) <bradley.jennifer.web@flsenate.gov>, Brodeur, Jason (web) <brodeur.jason.web@flsenate.gov>, <broxson.doug.web@flsenate.gov>, <burgess.danny.web@flsenate.gov>, <Burton.Colleen.web@flsenate.gov>, <Calatayud.Alexis.web@flsenate.gov>, <Collins.Jay.web@flsenate.gov>, <Davis.Tracie.web@flsenate.gov>, <DiCeglie.Nick.web@flsenate.gov>, <Garcia.Ileana.web@flsenate.gov>, <Grall.Erin.web@flsenate.gov>, Senator Joe Gruters <gruters.joe.web@flsenate.gov>, <Harrell.Gayle.web@flsenate.gov>, <Hooper.Ed.web@flsenate.gov>, <hutson.travis.web@flsenate.gov>, <ingoglia.blaise.web@flsenate.gov>, <jones.shevrin.web@flsenate.gov>, <martin.jonathan.web@flsenate.gov>, Mayfield, Debbie (Web) <mayfield.debbie.web@flsenate.gov>, <osgood.rosalind.web@flsenate.gov>, <passidomo.kathleen.web@flsenate.gov>, <perry.keith.web@flsenate.gov>, <pizzo.jason.web@flsenate.gov>, <polsky.tina.web@flsenate.gov>, <powell.bobby.web@flsenate.gov>, <rodriguez.anamaria.web@flsenate.gov>, <rouson.darryl.web@flsenate.gov>, <simon.corey.web@flsenate.gov>, Stewart, Linda (Web) <stewart.linda.web@flsenate.gov>, <thompson.geraldine.web@flsenate.gov>, <torres.victor.web@flsenate.gov>, <trumbull.jay.web@flsenate.gov>, <wright.tom.web@flsenate.gov>, <Yarborough.Clay.web@flsenate.gov>
This bill is based on religious bigotry, not sound science. If you believe in religious liberty, you'll vote NO on SB 254.
In a recently published op-ed, a parent of a trans child weighs in:
There have always been and always will be transgender people, including children. Aren’t decisions about their individualized care best made by their parents? Why is the state looking to make some parents second-class citizens when it comes to parental rights? My family, and no family I know, has ever made a medical decision regarding their transgender child without consulting a team of physicians. Having gender dysphoria is not being "confused." It is a condition where a person's feelings about their body are out of alignment with the physical traits of their body. For some (but not all), gender dysphoria creates extreme distress.Thirty years of data on puberty blockers tell us that this is a safe medication to temporarily pause puberty. As transgender children become adolescents, gradually taking gender-affirming hormones is only done as an informed decision for them and their parents. SB 254 undermines a parent's fundamental right to make medical decisions for their child in consultation with their physicians.
Florida Statute 1014 reads: "The Legislature finds that it is a fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their minor children." If SB 254 passes into law, the state needs to update its language to say: "The supermajority in the Legislature finds that it can use its religious views to override the fundamental rights of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their minor children."
The Defamation Censorship Bill (HB 991/SB 1220)
This bill would make it easier to sue the media or members of the public over criticism of public officials. It’s a direct attack on the right to free speech, going against Supreme Court precedent. The House version of the bill (HB 991) makes it so claims of sexism, racism, homophobia, and transphobia are presumed to be defamatory . In other words, someone can be sued if they call someone else a racist even if the person did or said something obviously racist. The Senate version of this bill (SB 1220) and the House version (HB 991) can still be stopped in a committee. As of today, 4/21/2023, both the House version and the Senate versions have one more committee to go. Click here to tell lawmakers to OPPOSE these bills.
“Don’t Say LGBTQ” Expansion Bill (HB 1069/SB 1320)
This bill would expand the Don’t Say LGBTQ law’s censorship provisions to 8th grade and revoke the right of parents to determine which pronouns the school system will use to address their own children. It would permit MORE book-banning and mandate IMMEDIATE REMOVAL of school books targeted for objection before they’re even reviewed. This bill would also revoke local school districts’ ability to craft comprehensive sex education, handing control of curriculum to the State Department of Education and further politicizing our classrooms. The Senate version of this bill (SB 1320) will now face a vote on the Senate floor. Click here to contact lawmakers and tell them to vote OPPOSE SB 1320 and the expansion of the cruel “Don’t Say LGBTQ” law.
The Florida House (Republicans) just passed THREE anti-LGBTQ bills targeting the transgender community.🤬
❌ The Anti-Drag Bill (HB 1423/SB 1438) is now headed to Governor Ron DeSantis's desk for signature.
❌ The Trans Ban Bill (HB 1421/SB 254) now heads back to the Senate for a vote. The House took up SB 254 but amended it to add in the (worse) House bill language, which means the Senate must revisit this new version of their bill.
❌ The Anti-Trans Bathroom bill (HB 1521 / SB 1674) is on the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee agenda for 04/25/23, 10:00 am, 412 Knott Building