LGBTQ advocacy groups have criticized the passage of SB 140, a bill to ban most gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender kids, by the Georgia Senate.
The bill was approved by the Senate by a vote of 31-21 on Tuesday (March 21), the final step before going to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk to be signed into law or vetoed.
If Gov. Kemp passes the law, doctors and health care providers would be prohibited from providing hormone replacement therapy and gender-affirming surgeries to minors.
Failure to comply could mean losing their licenses and potential exposure to criminal or civil liability. Along with medical professionals, over 500 of whom released an open letter in opposition to the bill, Georgia’s LGBTQ advocacy groups condemned the passage of SB 140 by the Georgia legislature. “We are saddened by the Senate passage of SB 140 today,” Georgia Equality said in a statement. “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.