Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision regarding gender-affirming care for transgender minors in Tennessee, Atlanta LGBTQ+ organizations are responding with a renewed fight for transgender rights in the South and across the country.
On Wednesday, June 18, the Supreme Court ruled that the ban on transgender health care for minors in Tennessee was constitutional. With this ruling, similar laws blocking or restricting access to care in more than 20 other states, as well as future laws passed by state legislatures, will be allowed to remain in place.
“This betrayal reverberates across the country, creating fear and uncertainty for young people who are simply trying to live authentically,” Atlanta Pride said in a statement posted to social media. “This ruling is a stark reminder that the fight for our liberation continues, and we must draw strength from the deep roots of our collective struggle.”
Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissenting opinion that the decision would authorize “untold harm to transgender children and the parents and families who love them.” Terence Stewart, the president of Atlanta Black Pride, agreed, saying that the decision forces families into the “impossible” choice of either raising their child without the necessary medical care – something particularly difficult for Black and brown families who already face barriers to health care – or relocating. However, the court’s decision may encourage other states to follow Tennessee’s example, making relocation, especially in the South, more difficult.
“For Black and brown families already facing health care barriers, this compounds existing inequities and puts Black trans youth at even greater risk,” Stewart said. “We’re deeply concern this ruling will encourage other states to follow Tennessee’s lead in stripping away health care rights based on gender identity. Politicians should not interfere in private medical decisions between families and their doctors.”
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In response to the court’s decision, Georgia Equality, Lambda Legal, TransParent, and Georgia United have organized a mobilization effort on Saturday, June 21 at 10 a.m. The organizations and attendees will come together to share space and unite around trans power. Register for the demonstration here to get the location.
“We will continue to fight in courtrooms and communities across the country to ensure all people – including transgender people – have the freedom to shape their own futures,” Jeff Graham, the Executive Director of Georgia Equality, said. “In Georgia, where we have fought bans on medical care for transgender people repeatedly over the years, those fights will continue. We know that families deserve privacy and freedom to make the medical decisions that are best for them, and we will not stop fighting for that future.”
