WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld Tennessee’s law banning gender-transition procedures for minors, ruling 6–3 that the statute does not violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
The decision upholds the right of states, including Tennessee and Georgia, to protect minors from irreversible gender-transition procedures such as surgeries and hormone treatments. The ruling effectively shields these laws from further legal challenges. To date, 26 states have enacted similar legislation.
“This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. “The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best.”
In a dissent joined by her liberal colleagues, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the decision “abandons transgender children and their families to political whims.”
The Biden administration and families of transgender youth had asked the high court to strike down the law, arguing it discriminates based on sex and violates constitutional protections. Under President Donald Trump, however, the Department of Justice reversed its earlier position and notified the court of the change.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti called the ruling a “landmark victory” in a post on social media, saying it defends the rights of states to regulate medical practices “to protect kids from life-altering interventions.”
Mike Griffin, public affairs representative for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, emphasized the broader impact of the ruling. “This is a very important ruling moving forward because it will set the precedent for protecting these kinds of laws,” Griffin said. “It is an absolute fact that children must be protected from hormone replacement therapies, puberty blockers, and surgeries that have irreversible effects for gender dysphoria.”
He continued, “It makes no sense whatsoever to allow children who have not reached the legal age of consent to be subjected to such procedures and treatments that can have such irreversible effects and do more physical and psychological damage than what it is supposed to be ‘professing’ to correct.”
The decision comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to establish new federal policies related to gender identity.
Trump has sought to end federal funding for gender-transitioning treatment for those under age 19, instead advocating for talk therapy as the primary approach. In addition, the Supreme Court has allowed the military to remove service members who identify as transgender, even as court battles continue. The president also signed an executive order establishing a definition of sex as exclusively male or female.
Supporters of the law took to social media to celebrate the ruling.
Riley Gaines, a former competitive swimmer and an outspoken critic of allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports, wrote on X.com, “Huge win for children and common sense!”
“This is a victory … for every state fighting to shield children from irreversible harm disguised as medical care,” Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote.
Chloe Cole, a prominent detransitioner and advocate who began gender transition as a teenager and later reversed course, posted, “My heart is overflowing with gratitude. Every child in America is now safer.”
Oklahoma’s attorney general, Gentner Drummond, said the ruling is a “tremendous victory for Oklahoma’s children, ensuring they will not be subjected to the consequences of these life-altering surgeries. The practice is unconscionable, and I appreciate the court’s ruling that our state has the right to protect our children from this irreparable harm.”
Griffin noted that Georgia has already passed legislation restricting minors from undergoing gender-transition surgeries and hormone therapy, and that additional legislation has been introduced to prohibit the use of puberty blockers for the same purpose. He said the Supreme Court’s decision in the Tennessee case offers needed legal backing for Georgia’s efforts.
He also pointed to the Georgia Baptist Convention’s 2019 “Resolution on Gender Dysphoria and its Treatment,” which affirmed Genesis 1:27 and asserted that gender identity confusion stems from a culturally driven narrative rather than biological reality. “The gender dysphoria issue must first and foremost be understood from a biblical perspective,” Griffin said. “Where there are underlying psychological causes, they should be dealt with from a psychotherapy position, rather than medical treatments that will be detrimental to the child's physical and emotional health.”
In 2023, Georgia passed Senate Bill 140, which prohibits most gender-transition surgeries and hormone replacement therapies for minors. Signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, the bill allows puberty blockers but restricts other permanent medical interventions. The law, which took effect July 1, reflects the state’s commitment to protecting children from life-altering decisions they may later regret. Minors already receiving hormone therapy are permitted to continue under the legislation.
The Supreme Court’s ruling marks a significant shift in affirming states’ rights to regulate gender-related medical treatments for minors. For many Christians, the ruling not only reflects a commitment to protecting children from irreversible harm but also affirms biblical convictions about the fixed nature of gender as part of God’s created order.