The Supreme Court hears oral arguments Wednesday in a dispute over a Tennessee ban on certain medical treatments for transgender children, in a case that could set the boundaries on gender identity policies for states and Congress.
The state’s law prohibits prescription of puberty blockers, hormones and surgery for minors, but only those who are transgender. The justices will weigh whether that violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution because it discriminates on the basis of sex.
The Biden administration, parents and civil rights groups argue the state law discriminates against transgender individuals because it only prohibits treatment for children who sought gender-affirming care, but not for children with other medical conditions such as precocious puberty.
