The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law that bans gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors in a 6-3 ruling led by conservative justices.
The Tennessee law prohibits medical treatments such as puberty blockers and hormones for individuals under 18 who are experiencing gender dysphoria.
The big picture: The court’s decision was based on the argument that there is an ongoing debate among medical experts regarding the risks and benefits associated with administering these treatments, and the ban responds to this uncertainty.
- Gender dysphoria is the clinical diagnosis for significant distress resulting from an incongruence between an individual’s gender identity and their assigned sex at birth.
- The Trump administration supported the ban, reversing the stance taken by the Biden administration, signaling a shift in federal policy on transgender rights under different administrations.
Driving the news: The law implemented in 2023 aims to prevent minors from undergoing gender transition interventions by healthcare providers and could result in legal consequences for violations.
- Challengers of the law, including transgender minors, parents, and doctors providing such care, argued that the law discriminates based on sex and transgender status, violating the 14th Amendment.
- Tennessee justified the ban as a measure to restrict risky and unproven gender-transition interventions, citing scientific uncertainty and concerns about regret and harm from discontinuing treatments.
