The Supreme Court of the United States will review the constitutionality of transgender youth healthcare in a landmark decision that could affect millions of adolescent transgender people across the country. This is the first ruling in with regards to transgender rights to healthcare from the 6-3 conservative majority court.
Last year, Kentucky introduced and passed Senate Bill 150, which prohibited the prescription of puberty blockers and hormone therapy to adolescents and young adults 18 or younger, regardless of medical necessity from the young person, their parents and their medical providers. The law immediately would stop all treatment to transgender youth who were already receiving care prior to the passed law.
Though the Court has not decided to review the Kentucky law, a similar Tennessee law has been appealed and agreed to review by the Supreme Court, and its outcome of the Department of Justice’s challenge to the Sixth Circuit’s decision will determine how transgender youth receive care in Kentucky and beyond.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky (ACLU-KY) said its challenge to the Kentucky law successfully pursued injunction from the healthcare ban going to effect at the district level, meaning that transgender youth could still receive care until the court has time to review the bill to determine its constitutionality.
“Our legal team is pleased that the Supreme Court has agreed to consider reversing the Sixth Circuit’s decision upholding these cruel and unconstitutional laws,” said ACLU-KY Legal Director Corey Shapiro in a press release. “Our clients and their doctors simply want to provide the best medical care that is necessary for these amazing youth. We remain optimistic that the Supreme Court will agree and ultimately strike down these bans.”
The justices will hear the appeal from the DOJ in the court’s next term, which does not begin until October, and ends later next year June 2025.
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This article appears in Jun 19 – Jul 2, 2024.