On Thursday, Central Florida Representative Anthony Sabatini filed House Bill 935.
In the bill, Sabatini says health care professionals that provide transgender surgeries or therapy on a minor to change their sex or perception of their sex should be illegal.
The legislation says that practitioners should face misdemeanor charges.
House Bill 935 also challenges current protections for transgender youth athletes.
This move could counter an executive order issued by President Joe Biden last month, of which the president said in part:
“Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room or school sports.”
Sabatini’s bill proposes that “only students of the female sex are eligible to participate on athletic teams designated for girls only”.
Brandon Wolfe is the media relations manager for Equality Florida - a non-profit civil rights organization representing the LGBTQ community.
Wolfe says the passing of House Bill 935 could have lasting implications.
“This isn’t about abstract ideas or political postering. It’s about people. And the impact that legislation like this would have on people is real. And in this case, we’re talking about young people. School-aged children. ” Wolfe tells FOX 4.
Children, he says, who have many of the same interests as their peers.
“Transgender kids want to play sports. They want to participate in sports with their peers just like all kids do. And that is because they want to feel like they’re part of something they belong to.”
FOX 4 also heard from many of our digital audience regarding the bill.
Some say they agree with the move.
“At last someone with some common sense.”
“This bill should be passed with no argument.”
Some also saying they do not support it.
“If Republican legislators spent as much time trying to help people as they do trying to discriminate against people, they could actually do some good in this country.”
If passed, the bill would go into effect in July 2021.
