Georgia senators send gender care restrictions to governor

ATLANTA (AP) — A bill banning most gender-affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapies in Georgia for transgender people under 18 is headed to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk after senators gave it final passage on Tuesday.

Senators voted 31-21 along party lines with Republicans pushing through Senate Bill 140, despite impassioned pleas from Democrats and LGBTQ advocates against what has become the most fiercely contested bill of Georgia's 2023 legislative session

It’s part of a nationwide effort by conservatives to restrict transgender athletes, gender-affirming care and drag shows. Governors in Mississippi, Utah and South Dakota have signed similar bills. Missouri's Senate on Tuesday advanced a pair of bills to prohibit gender transitioning health care treatments for minors and restrict them from competing in sports.

Andrew Isenhour, a spokesperson for Kemp, wouldn't say if the Republican governor would sign the bill into law. Opponents said they believe the bill would be an unconstitutional infringement on parents' rights and the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia threatened Tuesday to sue if the bill becomes law. Judges have at least temporarily blocked laws limiting the treatment of transgender youth in Arkansas and Alabama.