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| US Supreme Court upholds Tennessee ban on gender transition care for minors | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The US Supreme Court has ruled that Tennessee can limit or even fully ban gender transition care for young people in a decision expected to have consequences nationwide, given that 25 states have similar laws. | |
| The justices voted 6 to 3 that a Tennessee law limiting access to treatments such as puberty blockers for under-18s was not discrimination. | |
| Three Tennessee transgender teenagers, their parents, and a doctor who provides transition medications had argued the state's ban violated a US constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law by discriminating on the basis of sex. | |
| The case, known as United States v Skrmetti, was the first time the court had taken up transgender healthcare. | The case, known as United States v Skrmetti, was the first time the court had taken up transgender healthcare. |
| The decision was written by Chief Justice John Roberts, who said that the law, known as SB1, does not discriminate against transgender people. | The decision was written by Chief Justice John Roberts, who said that the law, known as SB1, does not discriminate against transgender people. |
| He also wrote that: "Tennessee concluded that there is an ongoing debate among medical experts regarding the risks and benefits associated with administering puberty blockers and hormones to treat gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, and gender incongruence. SB1's ban on such treatments responds directly to that uncertainty." | He also wrote that: "Tennessee concluded that there is an ongoing debate among medical experts regarding the risks and benefits associated with administering puberty blockers and hormones to treat gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, and gender incongruence. SB1's ban on such treatments responds directly to that uncertainty." |
| Treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapies are used for a range of medical conditions. The Tennessee families who sued have said their children are being unfairly targeted because the law still allows minors with other medical needs to receive the medications. | |
| They also argued that the ban violated a parent's right to access necessary care for their children. | They also argued that the ban violated a parent's right to access necessary care for their children. |
| The three liberal justices - Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented from the ruling, saying the Tennessee law is unconstitutional and puts young people at risk. | |
| Sotomayor, who wrote the dissent and also read it from the bench to emphasise her strong disagreement, said the ruling "does in fact create medical discrimination on the basis of sex" and that in its ruling "the Court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims". | |
| "[The Court] authorizes, without second thought, untold harm to transgender children and the parents and families who love them," Sotomayor wrote. | |
| Former President Joe Biden's administration had joined the case in support of the families. | Former President Joe Biden's administration had joined the case in support of the families. |
| After President Donald Trump's inauguration, his administration notified the court that it did not stand by the previous government's arguments, but that it would still allow to case to continue so the court could weigh in on the issue. | After President Donald Trump's inauguration, his administration notified the court that it did not stand by the previous government's arguments, but that it would still allow to case to continue so the court could weigh in on the issue. |