Washington, D.C. — A new column from the Center for American Progress explains how the case United States v. Skrmetti made it to the U.S. Supreme Court and how the court’s decision could restrict transgender youth and other Americans’ freedom to make medical decisions without interference from politicians.
On December 4, the Supreme Court will once again consider a case about bodily autonomy and whether the courts have a right to come between patients and medical professionals. In United States v. Skrmetti, the court is being asked to consider the legality of Tennessee’s ban on access to best-practice transgender medical care for youth.
The case could have far-reaching implications for LGBTQI+ nondiscrimination and doctors’ ability to treat their patients without political interference. If the court decides to reject their own logic in Bostock v. Clayton County—as it rejected clear and longstanding precedent in Roe v. Wade—and deny transgender youth equal protection under the Constitution, then bans on transgender medical care will remain in place across the country.
“Bans on transgender health care are part of a larger attack on sex discrimination protections that will harm bodily autonomy by restricting reproductive rights, and access to medical care, all of which are a part of the far right’s attempts to redefine sex and gender,” said Haley Norris, policy analyst for the LGBTQI+ Policy team at CAP. “The fallout of the Skrmetti decision, which likely won’t be released until the summer of 2025, is something that everyone concerned about bodily autonomy should be worried about.”
Read the column: “United States v. Skrmetti: The Trans Medical Care Case Before the Supreme Court Is About Bodily Autonomy for Everyone” by Haley Norris
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Jasmine Razeghi at [email protected]