DeSantis fires back at Biden: ‘It is not ‘sinful’ to prohibit the mutilation of minors’

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to President Joe Biden’s comments that what Florida lawmakers and leaders are doing – working to prohibit sex change operations for children – is “sinful.”

“What’s going on in Florida is, as my mother would say, close to sinful. I mean, it’s just terrible what they’re doing,” Biden said. “What are they thinking about here? They’re human beings. They love, they have feelings…”

DeSantis fired back, saying, “It is not ‘sinful’ to prohibit the mutilation of minors.”

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

DeSantis’ campaign, via the DeSantis War Room Twitter account, also responded to Biden.

They released a new side-by-side video that, on the left, depicted Biden’s comments, and on the right, displayed disturbing and gruesome injuries and scarring from the “surgeries for children.”

“Biden thinks it’s ‘cruel’ that Florida is NOT allowing experimental sex change operations for kids,” they said.

New legislation would ban sex reassignment surgeries, or other surgical procedures that alter primary or secondary characteristics, for minors.

The Florida bill’s cosponsors are Rep. Randy Fine, R-Brevard, and Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto.

It will also prohibits a person’s biological sex from being changed on their birth certificate.

“The butchering of children will be illegal in Florida, Florida citizens will not be obligated to pay for the sexual mutilation of adults, and those tricked into this evil will have 30 years to sue those who misled them,” said Fine.

The bill will prohibit certain people and entities from expending funds for reimbursement for specified clinical interventions.

Health insurance policies will not be able to provide coverage for gender clinical interventions.

Click here to read the full bill text.

In January, DeSantis reiterated his support for cracking down on children’s sex changes.

“We actually have very, you know, young adults who went through this when they were minors, and they’re saying this was a huge mistake,” DeSantis said. “And in fact, that’s not evidence-based when you start talking about sex changes and puberty blockers.”

In November 2022, the Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine at a joint meeting approved rules banning minors from receiving puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgery to treat gender dysphoria. The boards are expected to officially enact those rules in the upcoming February meeting.

“If you are performing those procedures on those minors, you’re going to lose your medical license here in Florida, so that is happening,” he explained.

“We’re also going to work with the legislature to make sure that we put that into statute so that you’re able to have accountability in that sphere.”