Republicans in various states, including Georgia and Iowa, are attempting to curb what they perceive as a rise in demand for child sex changes by implementing laws to prohibit such procedures. The latest development in this trend recently happened in Georgia and Iowa where lawmakers argue that allowing such procedures constitutes a form of child mutilation.
On Thursday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed Georgia Senate Bill 140 into law, which aims to prevent specific surgical procedures that treat gender dysphoria in minors from being carried out in licensed healthcare facilities and hospitals.
Conservative activists, including the organization Moms for America, rejoiced at the news. Kimberly Fletcher, the group’s founder, and president, expressed her approval of the measure in a press release, saying, “We’re glad that policymakers across America are taking a careful look at what these harmful procedures can do to children. This new measure will give Georgia children the legal protections they desperately need.”
“While the Georgia bill and others like it mark a turning point in the debate over child protection, there is still much work to be done. Too many states continue to defend sexual mutilation of children by refusing to implement laws that would properly protect them. This must change,” added Fletcher.
At the beginning of the week, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed bill SF538 into law. The bill prohibits medical professionals from “knowingly engaging in or causing any treatments for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of, or affirm the minor’s perception of, the minor’s gender or sex if that appearance or perception is inconsistent with the minor’s sex.”
In addition to the legislation regarding child sex changes, Reynolds also approved SF482, which prohibits transgender students from using public school bathrooms that do not correspond to their biological sex.
BREAKING NEWS: Governor Kim Reynolds signed two bills into law that would impact transgender children in Iowa. One bill prohibits gender-affirming care for kids and the other restricts school bathroom use by gender assigned at birth. https://t.co/eX5XDLuqP5
— KWWL (@KWWL) March 22, 2023
Opponents of the new laws argue that it amounts to a denial of “gender-affirming care” for individuals who require it. However, polling data suggests that the public is largely supportive of the laws seeking to prohibit these procedures.
With the passing of these laws in Georgia and Iowa, they join the ranks of nine other states that have enacted similar legislation. These include Mississippi, Florida, Utah, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, South Dakota, and Tennessee. The state legislatures in Missouri and Kentucky have also passed comparable bills that are pending approval from their respective governors.
