Rep. Dean Black receives ‘death threats’ over bill defining ‘man’ and ‘woman’

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Rep. Dean Black, R-Jacksonville, said he received “death threats” after filing a bill that provides formal definitions for the terms “man” and “woman” under Florida Statutes.

On Florida’s Voice with Brendon Leslie, Black said he received “death threats over this particular bill” and he said people have called for his “assassination.”

“Every time we try to have a civil debate with the supposed tolerant left, it ends up with them trying to cancel people and then it becomes hysterical,” Black said.

Black filed HB 1233, known as the “What is a Woman Act.”

It would also replace references to the term “gender” with the term “sex,” which would be included on legal identifications as well as legal identification applications.

Rep. Doug Bankson, R-Apopka, filed a comparable bill that Black said he is “very supportive of.”

“Let’s face it, we don’t want someone to be able to go in and change their sex on their driver’s license,” Black said. “If you’re a man, you should be a man on your driver’s license.”

Black shared a screenshot of an email on social media from a user under the identity of “[email protected].”

He said he is “not intimidated by loons” and will “always stand for conservative principles.”

“That should not be part of politics in this country,” Black said on Florida’s Voice with Brendon Leslie. “That’s not how this works and that’s not who we are. We should be able to have plain spoken conversations about matters of policy, especially something that’s so basic as what is a man and what is a woman.”

Additionally, the bill would prohibit a department from issuing an original or replacement drivers license or identification card that specifies a person’s sex as different from what is on their original birth certificate.

According to the bill, if the department finds that an applicant has provided a false attestation about their biological sex, they would be obligated to revoke the individual’s driver’s license or identification card.

The legislation also tackles health insurance coverage for sex reassignment surgery, mandating that such policies impose an extra fee. Moreover, insurance companies must also offer more affordable policies that exclude coverage for the surgery.

Those policies covering sex-reassignment procedures would be required to include coverage for “de-transition” treatments including prescriptions or surgeries.

Insurance providers would also be prohibited from denying coverage for mental health or therapeutic services aimed at addressing an individual’s perception that their gender identity differs from their assigned sex at birth.

The bill also states that a committee member will be determined as a “committeeman” or “committeewoman” based on their biological sex on their birth certificate.

“I’m proud to have started a conversation so that we can start moving the ball down the field and start bringing some clarity to the confusion,” Black said.

Companion legislation has yet to be filed in the Senate. If passed, the legislation will go into effect July 1.