Republicans in the Georgia Senate hijacked a bill aimed at increasing access to home health care services by adding two last-minute amendments that would further restrict access to gender-affirming care for transgender Georgians. Both amendments and the bill passed in a party-line vote Tuesday.
The first amendment to House Bill 54, introduced by Savannah Republican Sen. Ben Watson, would prevent doctors from prescribing puberty blockers to children diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a feeling of distress that comes from one’s gender identity not matching one’s body.
Watson, a doctor who specializes in internal medicine and geriatrics, said that the bill would not prevent adults over the age of 18 from seeking gender-affirming care.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
