ACLU of Ohio Issues Statement on SCOTUS Decision Upholding Tennessee Ban on Transgender Healthcare for Minors

Columbus, OH – The ACLU of Ohio issued a statement today in response to the decision of the United States Supreme Court in United States v. Skrmetti, in which the Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender affirming healthcare for minors.

ACLU of Ohio Chief Legal Officer Freda Levenson stated the following:

“Today’s profoundly disappointing ruling upholds Tennessee’s discriminatory, politically motivated law, which was passed based on junk science and stereotypes about how boys and girls should look and act. The decision utterly fails to protect the health of transgender minors and instead puts their health in severe jeopardy. It is a sad day when the highest court in the land permits the exploitation of this vulnerable population as political pawns. The private medical decisions of transgender children and their families should never be fodder for politicians.

Although today’s decision means a devastating lack of protection under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, make no mistake: the ACLU of Ohio’s litigation challenging House Bill 68 will proceed. Unlike Skrmetti, our case, Moe v. Yost, raises separate constitutional claims under the Ohio Constitution. We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure transgender children and their families have the ability to live freely and thrive.”