(Photo from SPEKTRUM Health – Melbourne’s Facebook)
MELBOURNE, Fla. | SPEKTRUM Health announced in a press release on Feb. 6 the closing of its Melbourne office to consolidate health care and advocacy efforts in its Orlando location.
SPEKTRUM, one of the largest remaining clinics focused on gender-affirming care, was severely restricted after the signing of Senate Bill 254 in May 2023, according to the release.
“Among other restrictions, the law prohibits nurse practitioners from prescribing life-saving gender affirming hormones to adults or minors. Prior to enactment of this bill, approximately 80 percent of transgender Floridians received gender affirming care from nurse practitioners,” the release states.
According to the release, in response to the bill SPEKTRUM has been working to overturn its passing, as well as continue to fight the many anti-LGBTQ bills that have been proposed since then.
“My patients are suffering, not just physically but mentally as well, since Gov. DeSantis essentially made being transgender a crime,” said Joseph Knoll, Founder and CEO of SPEKTRUM Health, in the release.
Knoll said in the release that despite the closing of SPEKTRUM’s Melbourne office, they do not intend to stop fighting back against anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ legislation. He also emphasized SPEKTRUM’s goal to “restore patients’ right to the quality gender affirming healthcare they need and deserve.”
SPEKTRUM will continue to provide primary care for Brevard County from its location on S. Orange Avenue in Orlando.
To support SPEKTRUM Health in its fight for LGBTQA+ rights, you can make a donation via the website, Spektrum.Health/Donate. For more information about SPEKTRUM Health and the care it provides visit Spektrum.Health.
