Senator Wiener Slams Supreme Court Decision Upholding Ban on Trans Youth Healthcare, Vows that California Will Protect Trans People & Their Families

SACRAMENTO – The Supreme Court voted 6-3 to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender affirming healthcare for transgender youth. The decision protects many efforts by Trump and Republican lawmakers in others states to restrict access to gender affirming care. Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) issued the following statement in response:

“The Supreme Court’s decision allowing states to ban gender-affirming health care for transgender youth is horrifying and another step toward erasing trans people entirely. It will hurt so many young people who are just trying to live their best lives and be who they are. The Court is giving bigots like Trump a permission slip to make it impossible to be trans.

“Major medical associations have been crystal clear that this care is appropriate and medically necessary. Only a tiny percentage of trans youth receive this care, and the kids who receive it overwhelmingly do so with the consent and support of their parents. Yet Trump and his cult have created amoral panic that a massive number of young people are having surgery or receiving hormones — which is false — and that they’re doing so behind their parents’ backs, which is also false. And as part of the campaign to eradicate trans people, they’re criminalizing parents and physicians.

“Now that the Supreme Court has validated these bigoted anti-trans laws, it’s all the more important for California to have trans people’s backs. Yesterday, my legislation (SB 497) to strengthen California’s trans state-of refuge law — which helps protect trans people and their parents and doctors from prosecution in other states and protects the privacy of their health care information — was passed by a key committee. I’m committed to passing this critical protection into law.

“The young people who do receive this care need it. It helps them thrive. It can save their lives. Today’s Supreme Court decision upholding these despicable laws is so destructive.”

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