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gyi, then president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, wrote last year. “It can even be lifesaving.”

The legislation drew immediate criticism.

“Our representatives should not be substituting their judgement for that of parents and families with regard to the most private and intimate of medical decisions,” said Peter Isbister, a leader of the group TransParent, a support organization for the families of transgender youth that represents 80 families from across Georgia.

“If passed, this legislation will cause untold anguish and suffering for our families,” Isbister added, noting families could be forced to leave the state if the bill passes. “It is not good for, and should be rejected by, our beloved state.”

One unintended consequence of the bill could be the prohibition of circumcision, said state Sen. Kim Jackson, D-Stone Mountain. That’s because the bill includes a provision that would prohibit the removal of “any healthy or nondiseased body part or tissue.”

Circumcision is a common practice and is required or strongly encouraged in some religions, including Judaism and Islam.

The state Senate will assign the bill to a committee on Monday.

This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.