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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 28 august 2024
Providers halt services after court allows Florida to enforce ban on

transgender care for minors

By KATE PAYNE affirmed gender-affirming
Associated Press/Report for care for children, noting
America that transgender adoles-
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — cents and adults have
Advocates say transgen- high rates of depression,
der patients are facing self-harm and suicide, and
barriers to “potentially life- stating that providers have
saving health care” after a an “essential role” in sup-
federal appeals court ruled porting patients and their
that a Florida law banning families in evidence-based
gender-affirming care can decision making.
be enforced while a legal “The AAP opposes any laws
challenge plays out. or regulations that discrimi-
The decision handed down nate against transgender
by the 11th U.S. Circuit and gender-diverse indi-
Court of Appeals in Atlanta viduals, or that interfere in
on Monday cleared the the doctor-patient relation-
way for Florida to prohibit ship,” the organization said
transgender minors from in a statement in August of
being prescribed puberty 2023 reaffirming its gender-
blockers and hormonal affirming care policy.
treatments, even with their For nurse practitioner Jo-
parents’ permission. The seph Knoll, the 2-1 ruling
law also requires that trans- Lucas prepares his weekly testosterone shot at his home in Casselberry, Fla., May 29, 2023. The handed down on Monday
gender adults only receive Associated Press is not using Lucas’ last names because he fears reprisal. was a disappointment but
treatment from a doctor Associated Press not a surprise.
and not from a registered While the law has been
nurse or other qualified pro- in place a law that inter- health care for transgender national political profile. on hold for the past two
vider. feres with that. And it puts adults, according to the Asked for comment on the months, Knoll and other pro-
Jon Harris Maurer, the pub- their kids and their families LGBTQ+ advocacy group decision, a spokesperson viders at Spektrum Health in
lic policy director for LG- at risk.” the Human Rights Cam- pointed to statements De- Orlando have been racing
BTQ+ rights group Equality Suicide is a leading cause paign. Santis made in June, pre- the clock to work through
Florida, characterized the of death among young Enforcement of the Flori- dicting that Hinkle’s ruling a backlog of patients who
law as government intru- people, and transgender da law had been on hold would be overturned. had been denied care un-
sion into “vital health care”. and nonbinary youth are since June, after U.S. District “We are going to stand up der the provision.
“We have parents, under- at a significantly increased Judge Robert Hinkle struck for duly enacted statutes. Spektrum specializes in
standably very concerned risk. down the ban as unconsti- We’re going to stand up for LGBTQ+ primary care and
about their children’s well- At least 26 states have ad- tutional. protecting the innocence the majority of its 5,000 pa-
being, who want to make opted laws restricting or Gov. Ron DeSantis, who of these kids,” DeSantis tients come to the clinic for
sure that they have the banning gender-affirming signed the law in May of said. “We’ll win that ap- gender-affirming care and
right to make the best deci- medical care for trans- 2023, has made anti-LG- peal.” medical transition services,
sions for their kids,” Maurer gender minors, but Florida BTQ+ legislation a large The American Academy of according to Knoll, who is
said. “This ruling puts back was the first state to restrict part of his agenda and his Pediatrics has repeatedly also Spektrum’s CEO.q

EPA takes charge of Detroit-area cleanup of vaping supplies

warehouse destroyed by explosions

By ED WHITE CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. ment is leading a cleanup U.S. Environmental Protec- ing up after Labor Day with
Associated Press (AP) — The federal govern- of the hazardous remains tion Agency told reporters more personnel on site,”
of a Detroit-area storage Tuesday, though more bu- said Kane, who is coordi-
site for vaping supplies, five tane and nitrous oxide are nating the effort.
months after explosions de- likely. Authorities said the disaster
stroyed the building, sent “We are actually going to was caused by the poor
debris flying for miles and go in and start segregating storage of volatile materi-
killed a man. all the hazardous materi- als. The owner has been
Goo Smoke Shop in Ma- als, and we will be doing a charged with involuntary
comb County’s Clinton full removal of everything manslaughter in the death
Township was stuffed with that you see in the back- of a 19-year-old man who
vape pens, butane cannis- ground,” Kane said. was struck by a nitrous ox-
ters, nitrous oxide cylinders Behind a fence, the ide cannister a quarter-mile
and lithium batteries. While 28,000-square-foot prop- away. Kane said the EPA
loads of debris have been erty is in ruins. The roof col- took on a larger role when
recovered in the surround- lapsed during the March cleanup talks between the
ing area, there is still more fire and explosions. Mounds government and respon-
Sean Kane from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stands work to be done. of charred, twisted metal sible parties reached a
at the former site of a vaping supplies warehouse in Clinton “We don’t know what framed by a few steel gird- standstill.
Township, Mich., on Aug. 27, 2024. we’re going to find in ers still remain. The estimated cost is more
Associated Press there,” Sean Kane of the “We’re going to be ramp- than $2 million.q