In a landmark decision, a federal judge has overturned Florida's restrictions on gender-affirming care for state employees, declaring the state's insurance program "facially discriminatory." The ruling, made by Judge Mark Walker of the District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, found that the restrictions violated Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The judge stated, "Here, the undisputed facts demonstrate that the challenged exclusions apply only to transgender members, as only transgender individuals would seek the gender-affirming treatment that is excluded from coverage. Here, Plaintiffs are seeking gender-affirming treatment for their gender dysphoria, therefore the challenged exclusions apply to them because they are transgender… According to [Lange v. Houston Cnty., Ga.], this amounts to a facially discriminatory employer action under Title VII.” The ruling concerns the case Claire et al. v. Florida Dep’t of Mgmt Servs. et al., which involved former and current transgender employees of Florida's government, including Jami Claire, Kathryn Lane, and Ahmir Murphy. They were denied coverage for gender-affirming care under the state's insurance plan. Represented by the ACLU of Florida, Southern Legal Counsel, and Legal Services of Greater Miami, the plaintiffs argued that the restrictions were deemed "experimental," and had no medical or financial justification. In a statement, ACLU attorney Samantha Past praised the ruling. The court will hold a separate trial to determine damages for the plaintiffs. #Trans Rights