A 13-year-old transgender girl has sued Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over a new law that will prevent her from playing girls sports at public schools.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, argues that the ban is discriminatory and will deprive her of opportunities.
The bill was signed into law on June 1, the first day of Pride month, by DeSantis. Under the law, anyone participating in girls’ athletics must provide an original birth certificate stating they are female.
The girl, from Broward County, is identified as D.N. in the lawsuit. She’s played on girls’ soccer teams since she was seven but under the law that takes effect on Thursday will no longer be able to do so on school teams.
The lawsuit argues that depriving her of playing in school sports will have a long-term impact on her future, including preventing her from having the opportunity to play athletics beyond high school.
“It also will create a sense of shame and diminish her positive sense of self, which can have lifelong consequences,” the suit says. The new law “also sends a message to D.N.’s current and future teammates that there is something wrong with her.”
According to the lawsuit, D.N. has been taking treatments, including receiving estrogen starting this year, that lead her to have no competitive advantage due to her sex assigned at birth.