Skrmetti Decision: Proud and Free Event

U.S. v. Skrmetti, is a lawsuit filed by ACLU, Lambda Legal, ACLU of Tennessee and Akin Gump on behalf of transgender youth and their families challenging Tennessee’s categorical ban (SB1) on gender-affirming hormonal therapies for transgender youth on the grounds the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution by discriminating based on sex and transgender status. 

Tennessean family Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville, and their 15-year-old transgender daughter, are challenging a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for transgender people under 18. Tennessee is home to over 3,000 transgender adolescents and the health care banned by this law is supported by the entire mainstream of the medical community. 

Learn more about the case here.

In December 2024, the Supreme Court held oral arguments in U.S. v. Skrmetti, a case challenging Tennessee’s categorical ban (SB1) on gender-affirming hormonal therapies for transgender youth on the grounds the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution by discriminating based on sex and transgender status. ACLU´s Chase Strangio became the first openly transgender attorney to argue before the court.

Now, a decision is expected from the court by June or early July 2025 with implications nationwide for access to healthcare and transgender rights, as well as how courts review sex/gender based discrimination.

Transgender people are facing an onslaught of political attacks as the Trump administration and extremist politicians nationwide try to strip communities of accurate IDs, workplace protections, health care, and more.

The main question of U.S. v. Skrmetti is the constitutionality of state bans against gender-affirming care for minors, so this case would not only have implications in Tennessee, but also in the 25+ states that have similar bans, including Idaho. Leading medical experts and organizations — such as the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics — oppose these restrictions, which have already forced thousands of families across the country to travel to maintain access to medical care or watch their child suffer without it.

Health care bans threaten people’s well-being, the safety of our communities, and the ability of every family to determine what’s best for them. The ruling on this case will have nationwide impact on access to care, trans rights and sex-based discrimination lawsuits.

Medical care for transgender youth is endorsed as essential treatment for those who need it by every major medical, pediatric, and psychological association in the U.S. 

For transgender adolescents, hormone therapy medications can serve as the foundation for the lives they lead, giving them the freedom to be themselves and helping them reach the future they deserve. These medications have been used for decades across the world to help transgender people — as well as people who aren’t transgender — live full and healthy lives.