US States Pass Controversial Bills Limiting Transgender Health Care for Minors

The Georgia House and Senate have passed a bill that would ban most medical treatments that help transgender kids affirm their gender identity, including hormone replacement therapy and gender-affirming surgery. Doctors and healthcare providers who don’t comply could lose their licenses and potentially be exposed to criminal or civil liability. The bill focuses on children experiencing gender dysphoria, and puberty blockers would still be allowed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that doctors provide children with “comprehensive gender-affirming and developmentally appropriate health care.” The legislation is one of a flurry of bills being proposed in Republican-led legislatures around the country targeting transgender people.