Politics
JUST IN: Supreme Court Issues Another Major Ruling For Conservatives
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a ban by Tennessee lawmakers on transgender surgeries and chemical procedures for youth, vindicating conservatives who argued that the opinion of medical professionals should stand behind those of parents and families.
In a 6-3 decision, the high court signaled that all states may now pursue bans on transgender-related care for minors, a deeply unpopular policy, but one which galvanized far-left progressive activists in the 2024 election. Another 26 states have already put in place laws similar to the one challenged in Tennessee.
“This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. “The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best.”
In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the decision “abandons transgender children and their families to political whims.”
The ruling comes as states wrestle with the complexities of accommodating transgender residents while respecting the rights of parents and conservatives who oppose granting minors the ability to pursue life-altering medical procedures. The debate has played out over bathroom accommodates, women’s sports, and federal funding.
Increasingly, the U.S. is on an island compared to global approaches toward transgender procedures for minors. Last month the U.K.’s top court ruled that transgender women, or biological men, can be excluded from participating in certain groups or gender-exclusive facilities such as locker rooms and homeless shelters. Trans activists cast the decision as an affront to their civil rights.
The Supreme Court has discerned between far-left positions on transgender accommodations and civil rights which are more closely contested in the court of public opinion, suggesting justices are not immune from the impact their rulings have on Americans.
Five years ago, the court ruled that transgender people are prohibited from discrimination in the workplace, adding the small minority of Americans alongside gay and lesbian employees who have sued for equal treatment. That decision is not affected by Wednesday’s ruling, the AP reports.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, a Republican, celebrated the ruling on social media, calling it a “Landmark VICTORY for Tennessee at SCOTUS in defense of America’s children!”
Tennessee’s law explicitly bans hormone therapy and puberty blockers for children under 18, but it allows the drugs to be used for certain purposes other than gender dysphoria, or the feeling that one’s identify does not align with their gender.
The red state’s law, passed in 2023, was challenged by the Biden administration, but shortly after President Trump took office the U.S. Department of Justice announced it was reversing its stance.
