UPDATE: Lambda Legal is hosting a gathering today (Wednesday, June 18) at 6 p.m. at Union Coffee, 3705 Cedar Springs Road, at which those affected by this ruling and their allies can be with each other, get the most up-to-date information about the decision and what it means and find resources.
A second gathering will be held Saturday, June 21, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Hope Interfaith Peace Chapel, 5910 Cedar Springs Road.
The Tennessee state law banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors can remain in place, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled.
The 6-3 decision in L.W. v. Skrmetti “effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump’s Republican administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people,” the Associated Press reports.
Texas is one of the 26 other states with similar laws in place.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, ruling that the law does not violate the Equal Protection Clause in the U.S. Constitution, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a dissenting opinion stating that the court’s majority ruling “abandons transgender children and their families to political whims.”
Sotomayor was joined in her dissent by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
We will update this post as more information becomes available.
Chase Strangio, co-director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project: “Today’s ruling is a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution. Though this is a painful setback, it does not mean that transgender people and our allies are left with no options to defend our freedom, our health care, or our lives. The Court left undisturbed Supreme Court and lower court precedent that other examples of discrimination against transgender people are unlawful. We are as determined as ever to fight for the dignity and equality of every transgender person and we will continue to do so with defiant strength, a restless resolve, and a lasting commitment to our families, our communities, and the freedom we all deserve.”
Sasha Buchert, Counsel and Director of the Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project at Lambda Legal: “This is a heartbreaking ruling, making it more difficult for transgender youth to escape the danger and trauma of being denied their ability to live and thrive. But we will continue to fight fiercely to protect them. Make no mistake, gender-affirming care is often life-saving care, and all major medical associations have determined it to be safe, appropriate, and effective. This is a sad day, and the implications will reverberate for years and across the country, but it does not shake our resolve to continue fighting.”
Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Tennessee: “Today the Supreme Court told Tennessee transgender youth and their families that they cannot access healthcare that is vitally important for a successful life. This ruling creates a class of people who politicians believe deserve healthcare, and a class of people who do not. We will continue to stand with transgender people in Tennessee and are committed to realizing a world where all people belong, are valued, and can access the necessary healthcare they need.”
LGBTQ VICTORY FUND: “This is a direct attack on our community. And it won’t stop here. We’ve warned that the right to privacy and bodily autonomy — two rights protected by Roe — are under siege. Today, those warnings became reality. Bigots spent years passing hateful laws to target trans people, hoping they’d land at this court. Now they’ve succeeded.”
U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus: “Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is devastating for young transgender Americans and their families who live in states that decide to put divisive and dehumanizing politics over people. The court’s ruling upholding Tennessee’s cruel and politically-motivated ban on medically-necessary care for young trans people undermines the ability of transgender patients, their families, and doctors to make medical decisions about accessing evidence-based care without politicians’ interference. The law the court upheld is an attack on some of the most vulnerable in our community — but we still have other tools to challenge anti-trans laws in courts across the country. As chair of the Equality Caucus, I am committed to continuing to lead elected officials from across the country in the fight for full equality for transgender people under the law here in Congress.”
— Tammye Nash
GOOD!! No one under the age of 18 needs to be doing this. If you wanna sex change, fine, but do it after you turn 18, and don’t expect us to pay for it either.