How bad are things for transgender kids in Florida? This mother is moving her family out of state

lgbtq — Protestors march against a bill restricting transgender girls from sports teams in Pierre, South Dakota on Thursday, March 11. (Toby Brusseau/AP Images for Human Rights Campaign)

A Tampa Bay area mother, Heather St Amand, says she is moving out of Florida with her transgender daughter because of policies championed by Governor Ron DeSantis and the Republican-led state legislature.

We heard something similar from a parent in the Florida Panhandle speaking Monday in the Legislature. Denise Barber said, “The language in this bill is scary. It is horrific. I am scared to death for [my trans son and trans granddaughter]. And wondering if it is time for me to leave my home state, where I have lived my whole life.”

For example, a bill (HB 1421) that would codify in law a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender children received its first hearing in the legislature yesterday. The ban by the Florida Board of Medicine is set to take effect Thursday.

The Hill reports that “[President] Biden calls legislation targeting transgender people in Florida ‘close to sinful.’ He said ‘It’s just terrible what they’re doing.’”

Amand was a guest on WMNF’s Tuesday Cafe.

Listen to the full show here:

The ACLU posted a website tracking 10 anti-LGBTQ bills in Florida.

Here are just a few of them, with the titles given them by their sponsors:

SB 254 – “Treatments for Sex-Reassignment”
SB 1320 – “Child Protection in Public Schools”
HB 1423 – “Protection of Children“

Scripps points out that “the Tegan and Sara Foundation and GLMA launched the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory, a searchable database that allows patients to find healthcare providers who understand their needs.”