12/05/2024

Landmark SCOTUS Case Weighs Gender-affirming Care for transgender Children

The justices are considering Tennessee's ban on certain treatments for minors

Medical treatment for transgender children, endorsed by major American medical associations and safely used for decades, was the focus at the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) on Wednesday as the Biden administration and three families with transgender teenagers asked the justices to strike down a state law banning some gender-affirming care for minors.

The landmark case -- U.S. v. Skrmetti -- comes from Tennessee, which is among 26 states that have moved to prohibit administration of puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy to minors who seek to identify with, or live as, a gender identity inconsistent with his or her sex at birth.

Oral arguments, which began just after 10 a.m., marked the first time the nation's highest court has openly considered a state law targeting transgender people. It is also the first time an openly transgender litigator, ACLU attorney Chase Strangio, argued a case in the Supreme Court chamber.

Please select this link to read the complete article from ABC News.