Angry pro-trans protesters lined up to rebuke Florida lawmakers ahead of a vote to ban child sex changes.
At the public hearing, numerous agitators took the podium to deplore the move, including a blue-haired woman who injected herself at the lectern in protest.
“I was once a trans youth, and now I’m a happy 22-year-old trans adult… this is my health care, don’t trample on it,” she said.
It’s unclear what was in the syringe, although many transgender people take regular hormones, often through an IV.
Shocked onlookers covered their mouths as she plunged the needle into his arm, followed by many other protesters who claim Florida lawmakers intend to carry out “trans genocide.”
The scenes came as the Florida legislature is considering banning minors from receiving sex reassignment prescriptions, also known as puberty blockers.
A trans protester proudly injected herself while discussing her opposition to a new Florida bill that would crack down on so-called gender-affirming child care.
Another protester recounted how they first considered suicide at age two, before undergoing a mastectomy as a teenager.
As the discussion of children’s transitions progressed, another speaker stepped up to the lectern to reveal that he had considered suicide when he was just two years old.
“When I was 15 years old, I tried to cut off my breasts,” they added. I went to the emergency room because I was bleeding to death.
Florida officials have heard numerous claims that if they support the bill, they will have blood on their hands, including various connections to Nazi-era Germany.
“I grew up in post-Nazi Germany, and what you guys are doing is no different,” said one protester.
“This is transphobic, this is cruel, and you really should be ashamed of yourself.”
A young activist took the lectern to harshly criticize them for even debating the bill, saying: “Every time I look at you on this committee, I realize more and more that you want to commit trans genocide.”
Our blood is on your hands.
This woman claimed to have grown up after Nazi Germany and compared the proposed new law to the atrocities committed by Adolf Hitler.
Another protester took aim at Florida State Senator Clay Yarborough, one of the leaders of Florida’s push to legislate on transgender issues.
She said Yarborough has “militarized” the Florida Republican Party into a “genital gestapo.”
“Ron DeSantis wants trans people dead,” he added. You are committing genocide.
Another of the pro-trans agitators criticized the bill below, saying that its possible passage would amount to an “act of war.”
After taking off his mask, they continued: ‘As it is, as it is now, my people will die.
“And that blood, if you support this bill, will be on your hands.”
A 12-year-old non-binary speaker echoed those comments, feeling that if the legislation goes into effect then “a lot of us will die.”
Controversy has swirled around the issue of medical intervention for minors in recent years, as many trans youth report that procedures such as puberty blockers can have a beneficial effect on their mental health.
However, others argue that the drugs can be harmful, including their purported effects on development and bone health.
For more drastic procedures, such as top surgeries, some legislators believe they should be banned for minors and that people should wait until they are adults to make the decision.
The bill also includes a provision that would allow disapproving parents to take custody of children who are “at risk” of gender-affirming care.
Speaking on the subject, one of the activists said: “I’d like to implore everyone to remember that less than a week ago the gun law restrictions were relaxed, and anyone who thinks it’s a good idea to come and take my son , I dare you.’