Trans lawyer to appear before US Supreme Court to argue that hormone therapy and puberty blockers should be prescribed to minors
The first openly transgender lawyer to argue before the Supreme Court will say that minors should be prescribed hormone therapy and puberty blockers.
Chase Strangio will take to the floor tomorrow to represent families who say Tennessee’s ban on treatment for trans children is unconstitutional.
The lawyer will have 15 minutes to challenge the law which bans treatments for minors and imposes civil penalties on doctors who violate the rules.
Meanwhile, Tennesse will argue before the court that hormones and puberty blockers could pose risks for young people, and the current law protects them from premature permanent decisions.
In court filings, state attorneys wrote: “Tennessee, like many other states, acted to ensure that minors do not receive these treatments until they can fully understand the life-long consequences or until the science is developed to the point that Tennessee might take a different view of their efficacy.”
Strangio has argued that there are other interventions, such as gastric bypass surgery, that minors have access to despite the risks involved.
He said it would make more sense to educate families about the risk and let them choose, rather than letting the state make the decision for them.
“There is harm that is compounded when we are forcing young people to be denied care that their doctors and their parents and they themselves all agree they need,” the lawyer said.
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Strangio came out as trans in law school and has gone on to work with campaign group American Civil Liberties Union on some very high-profile cases regarding LGBT rights.
In 2016 he successfully argued against North Carolina’s bathroom ban, arguing this had to be overturned so trans people could “participate and be part of our social fabric.”
The attorney has maintained that his personal experience of gender dysphoria has played a big role in his work.
He said: “I am able to do my job because I have had this health care that transformed and, frankly, saved my life. I am a testament to the fact that we live among everyone.”
This case comes at a time when trans rights have become a hot topic in US politics.
While many Democrats have vowed to do more for trans rights, Republicans have stayed set in their stance to make trans laws stricter.
Tensions recently flared when Republican representative Nancy Mace sought to ban first ever trans senator Sarah McBride from accessing the women’s toilet on Capitol Hill.
The supreme court case could have impactful consequences for US policy on transgender rights.
The court is expected to reach a decision by the summer.