ATLANTA, GA- Georgia Senate Republicans want to stop young people with gender dysphoria from getting medical care.
What is SB 140?
Senate Bill 140 (SB 140), which was filed by Republican Sen. Carden Summers, seeks to ban access to gender-affirming care, including surgeries, hormone replacement therapy, and other therapeutic methods approved by national medical associations with chapters in Georgia like the Georgia Psychological Association, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Medical Association (AMA).
We at SisterLove are alarmed by this latest legislative attack on sexual and reproductive health and freedom.
However, state lawmakers think they know better.
Defying Medical Standards
SB 140 reads, "The General Assembly has an obligation to protect children, whose brains and executive functions are still developing, from getting medical treatment that is unnecessary and can't be undone."
The bill includes some reference to exceptions for the vaguely defined “medically necessary” cases.
This is despite the fact that gender-affirming care is widely accepted among the medical community as the preferred treatment for gender dysphoria, a condition in which a person’s gender identity differs from the gender they were assigned at birth.
Any medical practitioner found guilty of breaking this law runs the risk of having their license revoked.
Another Attack on Trans Rights
SB 140 is one of two bills filed in the Senate to restrict gender-affirming treatments in minors. The bill seeks to prohibit all surgical procedures, hormone replacement therapy, and sex reassignment surgeries on minors who are transgender unless the surgery is deemed medically necessary. SB 140 will be voted on by the entire Senate on by the entire body on Monday, March 6, 2023.
The second, more worrying bill, SB 141, has not yet been set up for a hearing. It would make it illegal for nurses to tell children to get gender-affirming care and force them to tell parents when a child is transgender.
Taking a Stand
We at SisterLove are alarmed by this latest legislative attack on sexual and reproductive health and freedom in the Georgia Senate. We’re taking a stand against this oppressive bill and we want you to join us. Sign our petition to Stop SB 140 today.
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