‘This is not a safe state for people like me’: Life in Florida as a trans teen

In the spring of 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a package of bills aimed to “protect the innocence of children.” Those bills – which included an expansion of the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law – also banned gender affirming care for minors and banned trans people from using the bathroom aligned with their gender identity. What’s it like for the teens actually living with these laws?

In part two of Stay Tuned’s two-part series, we venture to Hernando County, Fla., a place at the center of controversy last year after a teacher was investigated for showing a Disney movie with a gay character. For one full school year we followed a trans student struggling through her senior year with new restrictions on her healthcare and bathroom use.

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Florida teachers under ‘Don’t Say Gay’