IBOSP Conference Schedule
Saturday October 7, 2023 | 9am – 12:30pm EST
Nathan Bruemmer, Esq. (he/him)
The Changing Legal and Healthcare Landscape for Transgender Floridians
Friday, October 6, 2023 | 11:45 am – 1 pm EST
Americans’ views on gender identity and the transgender community are complex. While polling indicates most Americans favor laws that would protect transgender individuals from discrimination in employment, housing, and public spaces, the public is divided over the extent to which our society has or should accept transgender people.
In 2023, the divided viewpoints turned into aggressive campaigns in many states to pass more anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies than at any other time in our country’s history. In the area of healthcare alone, lawmakers in 37 states introduced over 140 bills to restrict gender-affirming care. The pace and complexity of so many new laws have significantly shifted day to day lives for many in the transgender community.
Many struggle to confront this new reality. Have all legal rights for the transgender community been eviscerated? Has access to healthcare been erased? New laws and policies have also left many affirming healthcare providers uncertain of how to proceed in their practices. And after years of progress, both providers and community members are unsure how to support and mitigate the potential harms the transgender community now faces.
This session will provide an overview of legal and healthcare landscape nationally and will provide an overview of the current Florida state of laws and policies impacting the transgender community and healthcare providers. This update will also cut through the noise created by the recent political discourse and media coverage to clarify what it all means in order to assist mental health professionals, educators, and health care professionals navigate this changing landscape.
Presenter Bio: Nathan Bruemmer, Esq.
(He/Him)
Nathan Bruemmer is an attorney and advocate. He was born and raised in the Tampa Bay area. Nathan has served the people of Florida in several roles including working as a classroom teacher and as a non-profit executive leading an LGBTQ+ youth center and leading St Pete Pride – Florida’s largest LGBTQ+ pride.
Following his leadership at St Pete Pride, Nathan became the first transgender statewide appointed official in the United States when he served as Florida’s LGBTQ+ Consumer Advocate at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under Commissioner Nikki Fried’s leadership.
Nathan’s lifelong commitment for justice and equity continues through his practice of law and service as a public policy advocate providing support and counsel to families, organizations, community leaders, and elected officials.
As a subject-matter expert, Nathan is often invited as a presenter, keynote speaker and media interviewee. His LGBTQ+ advocacy and commitment to community has earned him a number of honors including being awarded the Silver Medallion Award by Community Tampa Bay, being named as one of Tampa Bay’s Most Remarkable People by Watermark Media and being awarded the Outstanding Voice Award by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
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