The Supreme Court sounded hesitant Wednesday to second-guess Tennessee lawmakers who banned gender-affirming care for minors, as justices heard warnings that upholding the law could lead to other state or national restrictions on transgender Americans.
During more than two hours of oral argument, members of the court’s conservative wing repeatedly expressed reticence to step into policy disputes over access to transgender care for minors, raising questions about the science behind the care and the fallout for other transgender issues such as access to women’s sports.
The state law bans puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery for minors for the purpose of medically transitioning their gender. Challengers have asked the justices to rule that the law unconstitutionally discriminates on the basis of sex because it prohibits access to that care when it is for the purpose of gender transition.
