WASHINGTON, DC-December 4: Demonstrations Asic Judicial Judicial outside the U.S. Supreme Court hears discussions about a case in Washington, DC on December 4, 2024 regarding the state of Tennessee law banning care of minors (Photo by Kevin Deetz/Getty Images)

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s laws that prohibit gender that affirms the care of minors, saying that children seeking treatment do not qualify as protected classes.

In Skrmetti, US vs. High Court He issued a 6-3 ruling on Wednesday. The restrictions overturn the lower court’s findings to treat gender discomfort in violation of the constitutional rights of children seeking adolescent blockers and hormones. The US Court of Appeals overturned the district court’s decision and sent it to the High Court.

The court’s three Liberal Party justice disagreed, writing that the court abandoned transgender children and their families on a “political whim.”

Tennessee lawmakers passed the law in 2023, leading to a lawsuit debated in the Supreme Court last December. The federal government filed lawsuits under the Biden administration against the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, three transgender teens, their families, and Memphis doctors who challenged the law, but under President Donald Trump, the US Department of Justice has overthrew the opposition.

Conservative justice leaps towards allowing Tennessee to ban gender-affirming care

The court said in its ruling that the plaintiffs argued that Senate Bill 1 “ensures that scrutiny has been enhanced because it relies on gender-based classification.” However, the court found that none of the classifications considered were determined by gender, based on age and medical use.

“In fact, SB1 prohibits health care providers from administering adolescent blockers or hormones to minors for specific medical uses, regardless of the gender of the minor,” the control states.

The ruling states that the application of the law will not “enhance sexuality.” Because it does not prohibit certain medical treatments for one sex minor, while allowing it for the minor of the opposite sex.

The House Republican Caucus issued a statement saying:This is a day of pride for all who believe in protecting the state of volunteerism and the innocence and happiness of American children.”

Jack Johnson, the Senate majority leader who sponsored the bill, said he was grateful that the court ruled that it retained its authority to protect children from “irreversible medical procedures.”

“The simple message the Supreme Court sent to the world is “sufficient,” Johnson said in a statement.

How to stay or when to move? Transgender laws force families in Tennessee to make tough choices

The Tennessee Equality Project, an LGBTQ advocacy group, expressed disappointment at the decision. “We are deeply disappointed by the U.S. Supreme Court decision to side with the anti-transgender ideology of the Tennessee Legislature and further erode the rights of transgender children, their families and physicians. 1.3 million transgender adults and 300,000 young people All over the country. ”

The group said gender-affirming care saves lives and is supported by medical groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.

The court also rejected the plaintiff’s claim that the law enforces “the government’s preference for people to comply with their own sexual expectations.”

The court found that laws classifying people based on gender require closer scrutiny when they involve “unacceptable stereotypes.” However, if the classification of the law is not secretly or explicitly based on gender, then no court review is required unless the law is motivated by a “mysterious discriminatory purpose.”

“And nevertheless, the statutory findings assumptions by SB1 do not in itself prove to be gender-based stereotyping,” the ruling states.

Depending on the outcome, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skulmetti said the common sense of Tennessee voters has outperformed “judicial activities” in laws that have spurred an increase in treatment for transgender children.

“The Tennessee Legislature and Governor Lee praise the courage to pass this law and support the lawsuit despite opposition from the Biden administration, LGBT special interest groups, social justice activists, the American Medical Association, the American Bar Association and even Hollywood,” Skrmetti said.

Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.), a minority leader in the US Senate, criticized the verdict shortly after coming out after being asked about it at a press conference.

“It appears this Supreme Court has forgotten that one of their jobs is to protect individual rights and protect individuals from discrimination,” Schumer said. “That’s a terrible decision.”

Democrats “we’re going to explore all the solutions,” he said.

Supreme Court Justice John Roberts wrote in his opinion: “This case carries the weight of intense scientific and policy debates about the safety, effectiveness, and validity of medical treatment in an evolving field. The voices of these debates spark all meanings. The logic is our previous law, but we leave questions about that policy in their elected representatives, democratic processes, only to ensure that they do not violate the equal protection guarantees of the 14th Amendment.”

In a statement, the ACLU said the decision was based on Tennessee records and context and did not fall short of other cases, including transgender situations and discrimination.

Chase Strangio, co-director of ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV project, called the domination “devastating,” but despite the set-off, he says there are still healthcare options for trans people.

“The courts have left uninterrupted Supreme Court and lower court precedents, saying other cases of discrimination against transgender people are illegal,” Stringio said in a statement.