Florida lawmakers have recently approved a new law that criminalizes doctors who perform life-altering sex-change surgeries on children. This legislation follows the previous ban on gender transition procedures for minors in the state. However, Republican lawmakers in Florida are now advocating for even stricter regulations and harsher penalties. The latest measure implemented by the Florida Board of Medicine prohibits the use of puberty blockers, hormone therapies, or surgeries for individuals under the age of 18 who are seeking treatment for gender dysphoria.

Those who were already undergoing “gender-affirming treatment” prior to the new regulation will be allowed to continue, but they will not be permitted to undergo “gender transition” surgeries. Despite efforts to safeguard children, there have been reports of doctors performing illegal surgeries on minors, as highlighted by Slay News. To address this issue, GOP lawmakers are advancing a bill through the Florida Senate that would classify such treatments on minors as felonies.

Additionally, the proposed legislation would prohibit the use of state taxpayer funds to cover these treatments for adults. In response to these measures, Democrat President Joe Biden criticized the actions of Florida Republicans, describing them as “close to sinful.”

“It’s just terrible what they’re doing,” Biden told “The Daily Show” earlier this week.

“It’s not like, you know, a kid wakes up one morning and says, ‘You know, I decided I wanted to become a man,’ or ‘I want to become a woman’ …

“I mean, what are they thinking about here?”

“It’s cruel,” Biden asserted.

Ron DeSantis shot back at Biden over the comments.

“It is not ‘sinful’ to prohibit the mutilation of minors,” DeSantis said on Twitter.

“It is not acceptable for the federal government to mandate that procedures like sex change operations be allowed for kids.”

Numerous states in the United States are emulating Florida’s lead by endorsing comparable measures.

A fresh bill was recently enacted in Kentucky, receiving strong support from GOP lawmakers, which prohibits gender transitions for minors.

Additionally, the bill encompasses clauses that grant teachers the right to decline using a student’s preferred pronouns and prohibits schools from engaging in discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity with students of any age.

Advocates assert that these measures are intended to safeguard children from undergoing gender-affirming treatments that they might repent in adulthood.

“We’re talking about removing healthy body parts that you cannot put back on,” said GOP State Sen. Lindsey Tichenor.

“I’ve seen the pictures. It’s horrifying.”

Mississippi’s Governor Tate Reeves, a Republican, has recently enacted a legislation that forbids individuals under the age of 18 from undergoing gender transitions or sexual reassignment surgery.

Moreover, Republican governors in South Dakota and Utah have also endorsed comparable measures to prohibit transgender treatments during this year.

It is anticipated that DeSantis will soon approve the bill that prohibits gender reassignment surgery for minors, thus transforming it into law.