The Supreme Court Just Legalized Discrimination. Trans Kids Deserve Better.

By Rob Yanes
Opinion | GOPocalypse Now
Published June 18, 2025

Let’s call this ruling what it is: a betrayal.

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors isn’t a legal nuance—it’s a blatant endorsement of state-sanctioned discrimination. And it’s not just Tennessee. This decision clears the path for more than two dozen states to criminalize medically necessary care for transgender youth with full protection from the highest court in the land.

In what world is that justice?

“By permitting Tennessee’s law to stand…this Court authorizes untold harm to transgender children and their families.”
—Justice Sonia Sotomayor, dissenting opinion

“Untold Harm”—And They Know It

Harm is not theoretical here. It’s lived and it’s lethal.

We know trans youth face staggering rates of depression and suicide. We know that access to gender-affirming care reduces those risks by over 70%, according to peer-reviewed studies. This Court knew that—and still, six justices chose ideology over evidence. Politics over people. Fear over facts.

This Was Never About Protecting Kids

Chief Justice Roberts called this a matter of “profound moral and medical debate” that should be left to legislators. That’s rich—coming from a court that had no problem stepping in to roll back abortion rights, voting access, and affirmative action.

Let’s be clear: the same puberty blockers banned for trans youth are still perfectly legal for cisgender kids with precocious puberty.

This isn’t protection. It’s erasure.

The Consequences Will Be Deadly

The Trevor Project reports nearly half of transgender and nonbinary youth seriously considered suicide last year. That number spikes in states with restrictive laws.

“Gender-affirming care saved my son’s life. Now we’re being told that’s illegal. How is that love? How is that protection?”
—Sara Walker, Tennessee parent

Denying care isn’t neutral. It’s deadly.

A Court in Retreat—And a Country in Crisis

This ruling didn’t just fail trans youth—it failed the Constitution.

Equal protection under the law means everyone deserves the same rights, the same dignity, the same access to care. Not just those who fit a politically convenient mold.

By stepping aside, the Court essentially said: if a state wants to discriminate, we won’t stop it.

That is not neutrality. That is complicity.

What Happens Now Is Up to Us

I believe in equal protection for everyone. Period. Trans kids deserve the same compassion, care, and medical support as any other child.

This ruling will go down in history as a moral failure—one that future generations will look back on with shame.

But belief isn’t enough.

We need action.

• Families must keep fighting.
• Doctors must keep speaking.
• Lawmakers must find the spine to pass real protections.
• And the rest of us? We must never stop saying: This is wrong.

Because it is.

And we either stand with the vulnerable—or we stand in the way.

#LGBTQRights #SCOTUS #TransYouth #EqualProtection #GOPocalypseNow