CCT 28-1_LR

« JEANNEANE MAXON, J.D., ESQ. law, ethics & liability

United States v. Skrmetti: One of the Most Important Legal Cases of Our Decade

W hile under-reported, the United States recently heard oral arguments in the United States v. Skrmetti case. At issue is Tennessee’s Senate Bill 1 (SB1), 1 which prohibits health care providers from administering puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and gender-transitioning surger ies to anyone under 18. Passed in March 2023, the law asserts the state’s responsibility to protect children from making irreversible medical decisions with long-term

Government on July 27, 2023. 3 At age 12, she started early puberty and was uncomfortable with changes in her body and unwanted male atten tion. This led her parents to consult with doctors who “… immediately set our entire family down a path of ideologically motivated deceit and coercion.” Now 19 and having taken puberty blockers and testosterone and undergoing a double mastectomy, she testified, “I look in the mirror sometimes, and I feel like a monster.” She also stated, “When my specialists first told my parents they could have

consequences. As of December 2024, 26 states have similar laws in place. 2 Under the law, minors who were already receiving hormone therapy before July 1, 2023, could continue treatment temporarily, but no new patients could begin gender-affirming care. These laws have been supported by adults who regret transition ing their gender while they were minors, including Chloe Cole, who testified in favor of such bans before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited

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