The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to hear U.S. v. Skrmetti, a case challenging Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The hearing date is yet to be set, but legal experts predict it will draw widespread attention. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represents families challenging the ban, expects the court to schedule the case for December. The controversy began in March 2023 when Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 1 into law, prohibiting surgeries, puberty blockers, and hormone treatments for individuals under 18 seeking gender transition. In response, three families with transgender children filed a federal lawsuit. They argue that the law violates the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection and due process guarantees, as well as Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits sex discrimination in health care. The case has escalated to the Supreme Court after a series of lower court rulings. Initially, a district court blocked the law, but the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision. Now, the plaintiffs are seeking intervention from the high court. The Biden administration’s Solicitor General, Elizabeth Prelogar, has urged the court to take up the case. The case will test how far the court is willing to extend the logic of the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. The plaintiffs have received support from a wide range of organizations, including the American Bar Association, Planned Parenthood, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, while Tennessee has also garnered support through numerous briefs. As the hearing approaches, the case will be a key indicator of how the court balances religious, political, and medical perspectives regarding transgender rights. #Queer Up Social Justice