On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case involving the rights of doctors to give puberty blockers and gender hormone drugs to transgender minors. The case, U.S v. Jonathan Skrmetti, has ignited enormous controversy and is likely to be one of the most important Supreme Court decisions of 2025.
The case involves a Tennessee law that bans healthcare providers from performing any medical procedure “enabling a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex” or any medical procedure “treating purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity.” The law was challenged by parents and transgender-rights groups, who argue that it violates the equal protection clause by discriminating based on sex and transgender status, and violates parents’ due process rights by limiting their ability to guide their children’s medical care.
The Biden administration joined the challenge, arguing that the law is unconstitutional. The federal district court for the Middle District of Tennessee agreed to impose an injunction on the law, based on the fundamental rights of parents to decide what’s best for their children. However, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, saying that such a right is not rooted in the history of American jurisprudence.
If Tennessee wins the case, the law will continue to ban “certain forms of medically necessary care for transgender minors with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria,” according to the Justice Department court briefing. One of the minors affected by the law is a 16-year-old girl who has been forced to travel out of state to get treatment.
The case has far-reaching implications, with some legal experts predicting that the Supreme Court may use the case to narrow its definition of the term “equal protection.” Others believe that the court may strike down the law, but only if it is able to find a legitimate government interest in the law.
The case has also taken on political significance, with some Republicans using anti-trans messages in their campaign advertisements. The reelection of Donald Trump has raised concerns that the Justice Department may switch sides in the case, but an ACLU attorney has said that the case has already been filed and there is little that the Trump administration can do to change its fundamentals.
The Supreme Court’s decision in this case is likely to have significant implications for the rights of transgender minors and their families, and could potentially set a precedent for similar laws in other states.
