NBJC Condemns SCOTUS Decision to Uphold Tennessee’s Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
WASHINGTON — Dr. David J. Johns, CEO and Executive Director of the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC), issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth:
“The Supreme Court’s decision today is a devastating reminder that those currently in power are willing to sacrifice the lives and well-being of the most vulnerable members of our community—our children—to score costly political points. By upholding Tennessee’s ban on medically necessary care for transgender youth, the Court has affirmed cruelty over care, fear over facts, and politics over people in the states where these kinds of bans exist.
“For Black transgender youth in particular—most of whom live in Southern states where these bans are now ubiquitous—it’s recreating Jim Crow-esque ‘separate and unequal’ treatment under the law based on which state they reside in. The message from the Supreme Court is loud and clear: you are not safe, and your lives do not matter. It’s worth noting that this decision is restricted to Tennessee, for now.
“Since 2021, 27 states have banned hormone therapy for transgender youth with gender dysphoria. Those bans have already abandoned thousands of families who are being forced to uproot their lives and finances just to ensure their children receive the care every major medical association agrees is evidence-based and lifesaving.
“This decision compounds racism, sexism, classism, and transmisia. It is not about protecting children. It is about punishing them for existing, and history will not be kind to the politicians and judges who stood on the wrong side of truth and justice in this moment. The Black community fought to overturn the ‘separate and unequal’ doctrine before, and we will continue the fight until every Black transgender person seeking health care and mental health services has access to it, wherever they live.
“To be sure, there remains work to do. It is important to note that today’s narrow SCOTUS decision does not negatively affect how the Court may rule on other issues impacting transgender people, including sports, military, restroom bans, restrictions affecting schools, prisons, or government identification. These cases involve explicit discrimination against transgender people, which this majority decision is careful not to address. Instead of reviewing sex-based discrimination, this case was decided on age and medical discrimination. It is also encouraging that the majority opinion refers to transgender people with appropriate nouns and pronouns. While deeply disappointed in this ruling, we are optimistic that a majority of justices will protect the rights of transgender people in other contexts.
“At the National Black Justice Collective, we remain unapologetic in our commitment to Black trans youth. We will fight alongside their families, their doctors, and their communities until every child, no matter their gender identity or race, can access the care they deserve and the freedom they are owed.”In response to the U.S. v. Skrmetti decision, NBJC is co-hosting a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court at 3:00 pm, where our Monica Roberts Scholar, Hope Giselle-Godsey, will speak. We are also supporting actions nationwide today and this Saturday, designed by local partners to unite and build power, making it clear that trans people are part of our communities and shared future! RSVP for additional details: https://www.mobilize.us/lambdalegal/