Trans activists attended a February 10th hearing, where they confronted the board about the new policy.
"They and a dozen other trans organizers expected a ban on gender-affirming care for minors to be approved, but they had been angered by Gov. Ron DeSantis’s increasing attacks on trans kids and wanted their voices to be heard," Buzzfeed, who first reported about on Spero's protest, wrote.
Trans activist Lindsey Spero injects testosterone in protest. (The Florida Channel)
"I could stand here and tell you about the times that I tried to end my life because I didn’t have access to gender-affirming care, but I know you don’t care," Spero told the board. "I see you sneering at us while we come here and talk to you. Instead, I’m going to take the rest of my time to demonstrate the sacred and weekly ritual of my shot in front of you in this body. My medication is life-saving, I will use HRT for the rest of my life."
The activist took out a syringe and struck their stomach with the needle.
"Trans liberation today, tomorrow, forever," they yelled before the crowd.
The activist told Buzzfeed News they "felt anger and this kind of holy rage that comes from knowing that you have no choice but to fight and that your fight is justified."
"The medical board has quite literally heard from everyone — from parents, youth, they’ve summoned medical professionals. It seems like they are past the point of being reasoned with, so I felt like action would be a strong show of resistance," Spero continued.
Shea Cutliff, of RISE Coalition, during a rally against a proposed ban against gender-affirming care for transgender children and teens on Sunday, July 31, 2022, at Orlando City Hall in Florida. ((Annie Martin/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images))
Spero recalled the Stonewall Riots, claiming, "our freedom wasn’t won with passiveness and words and public forums," but rather with "bricks and blood."
Despite the protest from Spero and other activists, the board ended the meeting early after they voted to prohibit minors from receiving hormone therapy and puberty blockers. The audience chanted "Trans Lives Matter" in protest.
People hold signs during a joint board meeting of the Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine gather to establish new guidelines limiting gender-affirming care in Florida, on Nov. 4, 2022. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Spero was touting the fun of "drag brunches" and slamming "capitalistic binary" structure to BuzzFeed.
"My community is still gathering, still going to drag brunches, getting together and making posters. We’re still radically loving each other…and building community outside of a capitalistic binary structure..it’s filled with all the love and hope and home and safety that we’ve needed our entire lives," the activist said. "The only way for them to stop us is to put us in the ground."