The Supreme Court has upheld a Tennessee law that prohibits certain medical treatments for minors, siding with an amicus brief filed by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI). In the case of United States v. Skrmetti, the Court ruled 6 to 3 that Tennessee Senate Bill 1 does not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Jessica Hart Steinmann, Executive General Counsel of AFPI, stated, “This is a welcome victory from the Court, which recognized in its majority opinion that neither fad nor feelings trump a state legislature’s right to protect its citizens. Today was a big win for protecting vulnerable children from irreversible medical treatments.”
The decision supports Tennessee’s law that prevents healthcare providers from administering puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex-transition surgeries to minors when intended solely for addressing their gender identity. The Court applied rational basis scrutiny in reviewing the law as it equally prohibits such treatments for all youth.
The ruling aligns with arguments presented by AFPI and Advancing American Freedom (AAF) in their Friend of the Court brief. The brief argued against what they termed as “the Biden administration’s radical attempt” to use the Equal Protection Clause against parental rights and biological realities.
Chief Justice Roberts wrote on behalf of the majority: “This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound.” He further noted that these disagreements are best left to “the people, their elected representatives, and the democratic process.”
AFPI praised this reaffirmation of judicial restraint and emphasized states’ rights to legislate based on science and public welfare. Steinmann remarked on future challenges stating, “Today is a victory for states’ rights, but more clarity is needed from the Court. We will continue to fight for firm recognition of biological reality in all areas of the law.”
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