A federal district court issued an order blocking enforcement of Florida’s recently passed ban on established medical care for transgender youth. In its ruling, the court declared, “Gender identity is real.”

The ruling went on to explain gender dysphoria and said, “The widely accepted standard of care calls for evaluation and treatment by a multidisciplinary team.” Because Florida adopted a law and rules that prohibit medically accepted treatment and are likely to win when the case comes to trial, the court said it was placing an injunction on enforcement of the law.

The Texas Legislature recently passed a similar law that will go into effect on Sept. 1. While different courts may rule differently, the Florida ruling may have som effect on a Texas complaint.

Families in the Florida case were represented by Southern Legal Counsel, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the Human Rights Campaign. The organizations issued the following statement:

“Today’s ruling is a powerful affirmation of the humanity of transgender people, the efficacy of well-established, science-based medical care, and of the rights of parents to make informed healthcare decisions for their children. The court recognized the profound harm the state of Florida is causing by forcing parents to watch their kids suffer rather than provide them with safe and effective care that will allow them to thrive. We are incredibly relieved that these Florida parents can continue to get healthcare for their children while we proceed to challenge these bans and eventually see them fully overturned.”

— David Taffet