Supreme Court Upholds Tennessee Ban on Transgender Youth Care: Activist Reacts

Washington D.C. - The Supreme Court today affirmed a Tennessee law restricting gender-affirming care for minors, a decision that has drawn immediate reactions from LGBTQ+ advocates. The 6-3 ruling marks a significant moment in the ongoing national debate over transgender rights and healthcare access for young people.Raquel Willis, co-founder of the Gender Liberation Movement, spoke with ABC News Live following the ruling, expressing profound concern for transgender youth and their families. "It's definitely frightening for a lot of teens and of course their families who have been just supporting them for so long," Willis stated. She highlighted a trend of families relocating due to restrictive laws, with some even leaving the country.Willis underscored the medical consensus supporting gender-affirming care, asserting that "every major medical association will tell you that affirming trans youth and their experiences and their identities is better than forcing them to not acknowledge them at all." She challenged the argument for age-based restrictions on such care, emphasizing that medical decisions should remain between parents, physicians, and the youth themselves, rather than being dictated by government intervention. "Trans people are not going to disappear just because the Supreme Court wants to make them disappear," Willis concluded, reiterating the community's commitment to continued advocacy.The decision is expected to have far-reaching implications for similar legislative efforts across other states.