A divided Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a Tennessee law that restricts access to gender-affirming care for minors, in a ruling that shifts the contentious policy debates about transgender rights to the hands of lawmakers.
The 6-3 decision, written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., found that states can regulate or even ban gender-affirming treatment as part of their powers over medical care without running afoul of the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.
Roberts wrote that there are “fierce scientific and policy debates” about the safety, efficacy and proper use of medical treatments for gender-affirming care, which have been debated by both proponents and detractors.
