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The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week in a case seeking to overturn bans on gender-affirming care for minors across the country, including Wyoming’s.
The initial lawsuit started when three families and a doctor sued the state of Tennessee for its ban. The Biden administration intervened on their side.
If the court rules in their favor, it could end similar bans in 25 other states, including in Wyoming, where a ban went into effect in July.
During oral arguments on Wednesday, members of the court’s conservative supermajority sounded hesitant to do away with Tennessee’s ban. Liberal members of the court seemed to sympathize with the Biden administration’s solicitor general while sharply questioning a lawyer representing Tennessee.
The Cowboy State’s ban was signed into law by Gov. Mark Gordon following the last legislative session.
It prevents physicians from prescribing gender-affirming surgeries to those under 18, even though those surgeries aren’t performed in Wyoming, and some LGBTQ+ advocacy groups in the state have said they oppose them for minors in any case.
But the ban also outlaws puberty blockers and hormone therapy, which some medical experts and advocates have described as being helpful to transgender people.
Critics of the statewide ban emphasize numerous medical associations and published studies that have found gender-affirming care to reduce depression and suicide in transgender people.
In response to the new law, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit based in North Carolina recently began providing grant funding for families to travel out of Wyoming to get the banned care.
Those who’ve supported Wyoming’s new law have said the ban is meant to prevent youth from making serious medical decisions that they could later come to regret – although data show instances of regret after receiving gender-affirming procedures are exceedingly rare.
The Supreme Court’s decision isn’t expected until this June. It remains to be seen whether a more comprehensive ban on gender-affirming care for all Wyoming adults will be considered in Wyoming’s upcoming general legislative session that begins on Jan. 14.
Depending on how the court rules, U.S. Congress may also pass a national ban on the care, now that both chambers and the White House are under Republican control.
Editor’s Note: LGBTQ young people in search of support can contact The Trevor Project 24/7 through our TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678-678.
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.
