Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti expressed confidence about the arguments presented before the Supreme Court in a historic case over transgender treatment. The case, United States v. Skrmetti, questions whether a Tennessee law passed last year, which bans medical treatments for minors who identify as transgender, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Skrmetti stated that he is “feeling great” about the arguments, saying that the law is evidence-based and was passed with a bipartisan supermajority in the Tennessee legislature. Dr. Jared Ross, a senior fellow at the Do No Harm medical advocacy group, argued that there is no consensus among medical professionals about allowing minors to use hormone therapy, puberty blockers, or undergo gender surgery.
Ross also pointed out that several countries, such as the UK, Finland, Sweden, and Belgium, have banned these treatments, and that some parents are being misled by the medical establishment, leading to a lack of understanding about the potential risks.
The case was brought forward by three transgender youths, their families, and a Memphis physician, who argue that the Tennessee ban on hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and gender surgery amounts to sex-based discrimination, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, a staff attorney at the ACLU of Tennessee, urged the Supreme Court to “affirm the essential freedom and equality of all people before the law – including trans youth and their families.”
