The Supreme Court just handed conservatives a win, upholding Tennessee’s ban on transgender medical treatments for kids.
The Daily Wire reported that in a 6-3 ruling, the court backed the state’s right to protect minors from irreversible procedures. This decision sparks hope for those wary of progressive overreach in healthcare.
On June 18, 2025, the court ruled in United States v. Skrmetti that Tennessee’s law, which prohibits puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender surgeries for minors, does not violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.
Tennessee’s law, effective since July 2023, faced immediate pushback. A Nashville federal judge blocked it that month, only for the Sixth Circuit to uphold it alongside a similar Kentucky ban. The Biden administration jumped in, urging the Supreme Court to settle the score.
The law, sparked by Matt Walsh’s probe into Vanderbilt’s gender clinic, sets strict penalties. Doctors risk losing their licenses and facing $25,000 fines for providing banned treatments. Families can also sue if treatments harm their children.
Plaintiffs, including trans-identifying teens and their parents, cried foul, claiming the law denies equal access to medical care. They argued it stomps on parental rights to make healthcare choices. Their pleas fell flat against the court’s reasoning.
Chief Justice John Roberts, penning the majority opinion, didn’t mince words. He said the law doesn’t “contort the meaning” of medical treatment by banning procedures for gender dysphoria while allowing them for other conditions. This distinction shredded the plaintiffs’ equal protection argument.
Puberty blockers aren’t harmless, despite activist claims. They can weaken bones, impair sexual function, and cause infertility. Cross-sex hormones up the ante with risks like blood clots, heart attacks, and cancer.
Gender surgeries, from mastectomies to vaginoplasties, are permanent and fraught with complications. Justice Clarence Thomas noted there’s “no medical consensus” on treating gender dysphoria in kids. He hinted that ideology, not science, drives some medical guidance.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, dissenting, called the treatments “a question of life or death” for trans teens. Her emotional appeal ignores the lack of long-term data on these interventions. Feelings don’t trump biology.
Over 20 Republican-led states have passed similar bans, reflecting growing unease. The rising number of minors seeking these treatments has fueled public debate. European countries, often cited by progressives, are also tightening restrictions.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti championed the law as “protecting kids” from choices they can’t fully grasp. His stance resonates with parents worried about rushed medical decisions. The court’s ruling backs this caution.
Roberts further clarified that the law applies equally to all minors, regardless of sex.
He noted that no minor can receive these treatments for gender issues, but other medical uses are permitted. This undercuts claims of discriminatory intent.
The Supreme Court’s decision isn’t its first rodeo on this issue. In April 2024, it allowed Idaho to enforce a similar ban, with carve-outs for two teens. Federal appeals courts remain split, ensuring more legal fights ahead.
