| On December 4, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case of United States v. Skrmetti, a challenge to a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors. A win for the plaintiffs — young patients, their parents, and a doctor — could potentially mean the defeat of such bans across the country. But some advocates are alarmed: A loss could have consequences reaching far beyond the issue of health care for minors. Depending on the specifics of the decision, the conservative-majority Court could undermine decades of anti-discrimination law, with possible consequences for trans adults and many other groups.
So, why bring this case now, to these justices? The ACLU’s Chase Strangio, who will appear on behalf of the plaintiffs, and become the first openly trans attorney to argue before the Court, tells New York’s Irin Carmon that the issue was headed to the Supreme Court one way or another. “Am I scared?” he asked. “Of course. It’s terrifying. Do I think we had a choice? No.”
—Katie Ryder, features editor, New York |
