Florida Judge Overstates the Case for Child Transition

Arguments from authority, not evidence

Afederal judge in Florida has sided with the families of three minors seeking medicalized gender transition. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle blocked Florida’s ban of puberty blockers and hormonal treatment from applying to the specific minors in the lawsuit. He gave several justifications for this decision.

Judge Hinkle began with the assertion that “gender identity is real.” He provided a definition of gender identity: “a deeply felt internal sense of being male or female,” which is distinct from (and sometimes at odds with) sex. Those...