The Leadership Conference Statement on U.S. v. Skrmetti

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mattie Goldman, [email protected]

WASHINGTON — Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti:

“We want the best for our children, and every family should have the freedom to love and support their child and to help them flourish and thrive. Yet in today’s devastating decision, the Court’s majority upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming hormone therapies for transgender youth. Doctors make the decisions based on research and training. Parents make the decisions with the guidance of doctors. And to have the same protection from laws as everyone else and the same ability to get medically approved care, parents should be able to take care of their child’s health without politicians interfering.

“Hormone therapy is safe and effective, and it is a lifeline for many transgender people. Transgender youth who are affirmed in their gender by their families do better in school, feel safer in their communities, and create healthier relationships with their parents and classmates. These bans discriminate and deny families the dignity and freedom to support their transgender children. It also robs them of healthy and happy lives and of the ability to access the health care that is right for them. As Justice Sotomayor states in her dissent, ‘By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the Court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims.’

“While this decision is a setback, it does not change existing laws in states that have not banned this kind of care. Yet, we know this case and dangerous decision are part of the larger attack that transgender people are facing as this administration and extremist politicians across the country attack their rights. Just yesterday, the administration directed the national suicide prevention hotline to stop offering specialized support to LGBTQ+ callers. No matter what the Court’s extremist majority or politicians say, transgender people and their families are not alone in this fight. They are loved and they belong. We will continue to fight in courtrooms, Congress, and communities across the country to ensure all people — including transgender people — have the freedom to shape their own futures.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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