Iowa and Georgia join the long list of states that ban gender reassignment treatments and surgeries on minors. The governors of both states signed two laws to prevent children and adolescents from undergoing sex change procedures.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Thursday signed a bill requiring an age limit to for medical gender transitions:
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) March 23, 2023
At the beginning of March, the Georgia Senate approved the bill to ban trans procedures on minors introduced by the Republican Party with 33 votes in favor to 22 against. Subsequently, the state House of Representatives endorsed the measure by a margin of 96 legislators to 75.
"We need to understand what these emerging therapies actually may potentially do to our kids"
Kim Reynolds, governor of Iowa, signed a bill to ban trans surgeries and treatments on children due to the risks. "We need to just pause; we need to understand what these emerging therapies actually may potentially do to our kids. My heart goes out to them. I’m a parent, I’m a grandmother, I know how difficult this is. This is an extremely uncomfortable position for me to be in. I don’t like it. But I have to do what I believe right now is in the best interest of the kids," she said.
Reynolds' position on the issue of gender in minors goes further. The governor of Iowa signed another law to restrict a minor from using restrooms and locker rooms that do not correspond to his or her biological sex.
West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and more
Iowa and Georgia are the latest to join the list of states banning trans procedures on minors. Bill Lee, governor of Tennessee, enacted a law to make these practices illegal for children.
Other governors who applied the same measure are Kristi Noem (South Dakota), Tate Reeves (Mississippi) and Spencer Cox (Utah), among others. In addition, the West Virginia House of Representatives and the Kentucky House of Representatives each passed a bill to ban trans treatments and surgeries on minors.
