Georgia Senate passes ban on ‘gender-affirming’ surgeries for transgender youth

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The Georgia Senate on Tuesday voted to ban most forms of gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth.

SB 140, which can be read here, would prevent doctors from prescribing hormone therapy or performing gender-affirming surgeries on transgender people under the age of 18.

The Senate voted 31-21 on party lines, with Republicans mostly in favor and Democrats opposing the measure.

Jeff Graham, Executive Director of Georgia Equality, Georgia’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group, released the following statement in response to the Senate passage of SB 140:

“We are saddened by the Senate passage of SB 140 today. Parents, working in collaboration with their medical teams and adhering to standards of care, should be able to make decisions regarding their child’s healthcare. With an amendment attached to SB 140 that would criminalize medical providers for following established standards of care, this legislation sets a dangerous precedent by putting politics over scientific fact.

“By targeting medical professionals for doing their jobs, SB 140 threatens an already serious shortage of healthcare workers. For the safety and wellbeing of our state, Governor Kemp must veto this harmful legislation.

“We are grateful for all of the parents, medical providers, transgender youth, and supporters who have showed up at the Capitol over the last few weeks, and the thousands of Georgians from throughout the state who took action over the last weeks to urge their elected officials to oppose this bill. With nearly 10,000 messages sent to elected officials opposing SB 140, it is clear that Republican legislators are out of line with the majority of Georgians on this.

“In the coming days, we will continue our focus on urging Governor Kemp to veto SB 140.”

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Supporters say it will help prevent kids from making irreversible changes before adulthood. Opponents say it targets an already marginalized group and poses catastrophic mental health risks.

The bill will now go to Gov. Brian Kemp’s office for final approval.

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