Justice Department says Tennessee's ban on transition treatments for transgender kids violates Equal Protection Clause. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing Tennessee over the state's recently passed ban on certain sorts of medical care for transgender minors.
The broad Tennessee law, Senate Bill 1, makes it illegal for health care providers to perform or administer any treatment to someone under age 18 if the treatment is for the purpose of "enabling a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the immutable characteristics of the reproductive system that define the minor as male or female, as determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of birth (the minor's 'sex')" or "treating purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor's sex and asserted identity." That means things like puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors are illegal, in addition to surgical procedures. It's set to take effect on July 1, 2023.
