Federal Court Rules In Favor of Forcibly Detransitioning Transgender Inmates In Florida [View all]

Link below. From the article:

In the final days of 2024, a federal judge in Florida’s Northern District issued a ruling rejecting a preliminary injunction against a new Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) policy targeting transgender inmates. This policy, introduced on September 30, 2024, frames gender dysphoria as a “short-term delusion,” restricting access to gender-affirming care, permitting hormones only in “rare instances” deemed constitutionally necessary. The FDC bulletin also suggests psychotropic medications and psychotherapy as sufficient alternatives to medical transition, ignoring widely accepted medical guidelines.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing plaintiff Reiyn Keohane, challenged the policy, arguing it strips transgender inmates of essential care and dignity. Under the policy, trans women in Florida prisons are denied access to gender-aligned clothing and grooming standards, with confiscation of canteen items and head shaving mandated for non-compliance. According to the ACLU’s October 2024 complaint, inmates face invasive examinations to assess breast size for bra eligibility, subjecting them to dehumanizing treatment under the guise of policy enforcement. The ACLU sought immediate relief, filing for a preliminary injunction to halt these measures.

In his 23-page decision, Judge Allen Winsor, a Trump appointee with a record of anti-LGBTQ+ rulings, dismissed the injunction request. Winsor’s opinion misgendered Keohane, describing her as “a male who self-identifies as a woman.” He argued that the FDC’s policy does not constitute a blanket ban on hormone therapy, despite evidence showing the policy effectively forces the detransition of hundreds of inmates. Winsor claimed that Keohane, having navigated extensive bureaucratic hurdles to preserve her care, faced no “imminent injury” and therefore did not meet the criteria for emergency relief.

Regarding social accommodations, Winsor acknowledged the harm but dismissed its significance, arguing that denying long hair and gender-appropriate clothing does not rise to the level of “grossly incompetent” care or an Eighth Amendment violation. Misrepresenting the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) guidelines, Winsor claimed that social transition is not medically necessary and suggested psychotherapy as an adequate alternative. This echoes debunked “conversion therapy” approaches that lack scientific evidence and have been shown to increase risks of self-harm and suicide among transgender individuals.

Link:
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/federal-court-rules-in-favor-of-forcibly