Georgia Republicans are ramping up their efforts to restrict transgender health care. A new bill advancing in the state Senate would prohibit doctors from prescribing puberty blockers to minors, adding to an already growing list of legislative actions targeting transgender rights.
Senate Panel Moves Forward with Ban
The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services approved the latest measure Wednesday, setting the stage for a full Senate vote. Sponsored by Sen. Ben Watson, a physician and Republican from Savannah, the bill argues that puberty blockers cause harm and should not be used to treat gender dysphoria in children.
“Puberty blockers do do harm, and that’s the issue,” Watson said. “It changes the bone structure, it changes so many things, but it’s a natural response that youth are going through.”
This latest push follows two other bills passed by the Senate in recent weeks. One aims to bar transgender girls from participating in school sports, while another seeks to prevent transgender state employees from accessing gender-affirming care under the state health plan. Neither measure has cleared the House yet.
Parents and Advocacy Groups Push Back
For families with transgender children, the new bill is personal. Peter Isbister, a leader in the metro Atlanta chapter of TransParent, a support group for parents of transgender kids, testified against the proposal, urging lawmakers to trust parents to make medical decisions for their children.
“My 11-year-old son will get the health care he needs, I am privileged to say, because I will go to the ends of the earth to make sure that he does,” Isbister said. “Why? Because I love him, as you love your children.”
He called on lawmakers to consider the impact such a ban would have on families. “I am asking you to trust me and to trust us, because we are not different than you.”
The Role of Puberty Blockers in Medical Care
Puberty blockers are medications that pause the natural progression of puberty, allowing young people with gender dysphoria more time to explore their gender identity before undergoing permanent changes. Many transgender individuals who have undergone puberty describe it as distressing and say that the ability to delay those changes is crucial.
Doctors treating gender dysphoria in minors often consider a range of options, including:
- Social transitioning, which may involve adopting a new name or pronouns.
- Hormone therapy, where patients take estrogen or testosterone.
- Puberty blockers, which delay the onset of puberty.
Medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society, support the use of puberty blockers in some cases, citing evidence that they can improve mental health outcomes and reduce suicide risk among transgender youth.
The Political Landscape
Georgia is far from alone in taking up anti-transgender legislation. Republican-led states across the country have been passing similar measures, turning transgender rights into a focal point of conservative policymaking.
A growing number of statehouses, including in Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, have enacted laws banning gender-affirming care for minors. At the federal level, Republican lawmakers have introduced bills to restrict transgender participation in sports and access to medical care, though those efforts have largely stalled in Congress.
As Georgia’s legislative session continues, the fate of this bill—and its broader implications for transgender Georgians—remains uncertain. Advocates on both sides are preparing for a battle that is unlikely to end soon.
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