ORLANDO, Fla. — A state law blocking gender transition treatments for minors was overturned by a federal judge. The judge called it unconstitutional, and he also stopped the state from requiring transgender adults to only receive treatment from a doctor rather than a registered nurse or other qualified medical practitioners.

What You Need To Know

  • A state law blocking gender transition treatments for minors was overturned by a federal judge

  • Medical practitioners at Pineapple Healthcare in Orlando say the news brought a sigh of relief

  • The governor’s office stated it will appeal the ruling

Medical practitioners at Pineapple Healthcare in Orlando say the news brought a sigh of relief — not just for them, but for every health care provider who deals with transgender care. This past year, Pineapple Healthcare has had to refer out to other health care offices, creating a long waiting list for those able to jump through the new policy hoops.

Ever since Emma Ayson was a kid, she knew she wanted to be a nurse.

“Not only do I associate with the LGBTQ+ community, but I feel like there was a calling of mine to also help the LGBTIQ community,” said Ayson, a transgender nurse practitioner at Pineapple Healthcare.

But the patients she could help at Orlando’s Pineapple Healthcare changed after last year’s passage of Senate Bill 254, which limited where adults can receive gender transition care.

Now that the law has been overturned, the facility is back on the list, at least for now.

“Thank goodness it’s been overturned. When we had this new last year in 2023 in June, we were kind of paralyzed when it came to doing gender affirming care," Ayson said. "Now that we are getting it back, we can get our patients back rather than referring them out.”

The ruling is a setback for Republicans who supported the measure. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office spoke out against the decision, saying:

“Through their elected representatives, the people of Florida acted to protect children in this state, and the court was wrong to override their wishes. As we’ve seen here in Florida, the United Kingdom, and across Europe, there is no quality evidence to support the chemical and physical mutilation of children. These procedures do permanent, life-altering damage to children, and history will look back on this fad in horror.”

As for Ayson, she said this is a major success for the transgender community, but the fight isn’t over.

“There will be other challenges, but we can overcome it like we done,” Ayson said.

Pineapple Health is now accepting all patients, including adult transgender patients. The governor’s office said it will appeal the ruling.