Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently rejected a reporter’s comments about “gender-affirming care” for children, a term often used by the left to refer to transgender surgeries. The exchange came after a federal judge blocked Florida’s ban on “gender-affirming” medical services.
The reporter asked the GOP governor, “Your office told us that you plan to appeal the gender-affirming ruling from yesterday. So my question today, since we’re talking about the budget of taxpayer dollars, why should taxpayer dollars go to this case for the appeal?”
DeSantis responded, stating that it is his moral duty to prevent the legal mutilation of minors in the state of Florida. He expressed confidence that the judge’s order would be reversed. DeSantis illustrated the absurdity of not being able to get a tattoo while being legally allowed to irreversibly remove one’s genitals as a minor.
“It’s wrong to mutilate minors. It is wrong to perform a sex change on a 16-year-old. You’re not allowed to get a tattoo, but somehow, you can have your privates cut off? Give me a break. This is wrong, and I would also say, this has already been decided by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. They upheld Alabama’s law, which was almost identical to Florida’s law. This will be reversed, there’s no question it will be reversed,” he said.
The former 2024 presidential contender went on, emphasizing that the state can pass legislation protecting children. “Think about it. When the Founding Fathers were creating the Constitution, and when the First Congress passed the Bill of Rights, or even when they passed the reconstruction amendments in the 1860s, do you think a single person involved in that thought that there was a constitutional right to do this genital mutilation? It’s ridiculous. Of course, a state can protect children.”
DeSantis further defended the use of Florida tax dollars for “gender-affirming” medical procedures, explaining how he has consistently won his appeals. “This idea of using tax dollars because the media will point out, ‘Oh, the state is spending money to do.’ So if you say that we shouldn’t do that, you’re saying that any liberal judge should be able to veto the policy of the State of Florida because they go to the same judges every time, we lost almost every time, and we win on appeal almost every time,” he told the reporter.
“That’s what happens, so if you’re not willing to defend Florida’s duly enacted statutes against liberal jurisprudence, then you’re basically saying the people of Florida shouldn’t govern themselves and that we should just turn over our destiny to some trial judge somewhere. That I refuse to do,” DeSantis further explained.
WATCH:
DESANTIS TO REPORTER: “You used the term gender-affirming care […] Are we gonna be rooted in truth, or not?”
REPORTER: “Why should taxpayer dollars go to this case for the appeal [of judge striking down law on sex changes]?”
DESANTIS: “Because it’s wrong to mutilate minors!” pic.twitter.com/1zXfOX1Y1x
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) June 12, 2024