Georgia’s Senate passed two bills Monday that would ban most gender-affirming care for minors and people incarcerated in state prisons, mirroring moves by Republicans across states and a handful of executive orders by President Donald Trump targeting transgender people.
The chamber voted 34-19 for a bill that would ban puberty blockers and most gender-affirming care for people under 18, including those already undergoing treatment. Georgia lawmakers in 2023 banned most gender-affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapies for transgender minors unless they were already receiving treatment. The law lets doctors prescribe puberty blockers.
“You’re asking (minors) to make changes that will have changes to the rest of their lives,” bill sponsor Republican Sen. Ben Watson, of Savannah, said Monday. “It is not a fair decision to them. It is not a fair decision to the parents.”
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