The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in the case of U.S. v. Skrmetti, a significant case that may profoundly affect the accessibility of health care for transgender youth and their families across the country, as well as the autonomy of health care providers to deliver such care.
The plaintiffs, families of transgender youth and a medical provider, are challenging Tennessee’s law banning health care such as hormone therapy and puberty-pausing medications for transgender youth under 18, even when that treatment is medically warranted and sanctioned by their parents. The same treatments are not banned for cisgender (non-transgender) youth.
Following oral arguments, CNN’s Brianna Keilar hosted Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) president Kristen Waggoner. ADF was described as a Christian legal organization that is representing other states with similar cases. In fact, ADF is an anti-LGBTQ hate group, as designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and has a history of funding and representing cases targeting LGBTQ people, youth and protections. ADF has fought alongside the first Trump administration’s Justice Department to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ people:
- at work (Bostock)
- against same-sex couples trying to buy a wedding cake (Masterpiece)
- couples looking to adopt children (Fulton)
- 303 Creative, a case that the Washington Post reported included “manufacturing lawsuits” to find plaintiffs to sue, ending up with a website designer who was never asked to perform services for LGBTQ clients.
No transgender people appeared to challenge Waggoner’s claims, including the baseless assertion that patients are incapable of understanding the consequences of medical care. Transgender youth seeking care must have parental consent to receive it.
ADF is among several groups with a long history of activism against LGBTQ Americans that filed amicus briefs in the Skrmetti case. Media reporting on the case and support for the bans that are supported by every major medical association can report on the records of the groups and their longstanding animus against LGBTQ people. GLAAD has documented these records on the GLAAD Accountability Project, including:
Family Research Council (FRC)
—Advocated for President Trump’s ban on transgender people in the military and bragged of White House connections just prior to the ban.
—Publishes brochures, videos, and other materials for parents and other school anti-trans activists, such as the 2016 “Parents Guide to the Transgender Movement in Education,” which misgenders trans people and encourages parents to oppose gender-affirming care backed by every major medical association as best practice, lifesaving care
—Supports so-called “conversion therapy,” and encourages children to ignore classmates’ pronouns, despite research showing that using accurate pronouns improves mental health.
—Describes the Equality Act, which would provide comprehensive protections from discrimination for LGBTQ people as “unequal, unfair, and unjust.”
—Filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court against marriage equality in support of California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act, both since nullified.
—Baselessly claimed that “one of the primary goals of the homosexual rights movement is to abolish all age of consent laws and to eventually recognize pedophiles as the ‘prophets’ of a new sexual order.”
—Promotes the “ex-gay” movement as a way to combat LGBTQ civil rights measures and refutes the claims of victims of abusive, so-called “conversion therapy.”
—More on the Family Research Council
The American College of Pediatricians
—Fringe medical group that split with the mainstream American Academy of Pediatrics to protest its support of LGBTQ couples adopting children
—Colluded with the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) using junk science to propagate anti-transgender policy
—Made false claims about evidence-based gender-affirming care to support Texas authorities targeting families of transgender children
—Sued the Department of Health and Human Services with Alliance Defending Freedom objecting to gender-affirming care for any patient including children
—Made false claims about LGBTQ people’s mental health and fitness as parents, claims debunked by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, and the American Medical Association
—Supports the discredited and dangerous practice of “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ youth
—Vile rhetoric falsely linking LGBTQ people to pedophilia and “grooming”
—False and baseless claims that “transgenderism” [sic] “increasingly looks like a cultish religion”
—More on The American College of Pediatricians
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)
—Colluded with the American College of Pediatricians (ACP) to shore up anti-transgender policy efforts and legal arguments with junk science
—Multiple lawsuits, including false claims, to prevent transgender students from participating in sports
—Represented multiple educators who refused to use accurate pronouns and names of transgender students. Research shows using accurate pronouns and names reduces suicide risk for vulnerable youth.
—Testified in the Ohio legislature to spread misinformation about gender affirming care for youth, which is supported by every major medical association
—Argued in court for the criminalization of homosexuality in amicus briefs for the U.S. Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas
—As early as 2010 began sending letters threatening libraries to ban books with LGBTQ inclusive content and characters
—Represented “conversion therapy” practitioners in lawsuits, a practice discredited by mental health and medical professionals as harmful and ineffective.
—Helped draft bills in Idaho, Montana, and other states targeting trans youth participation in school sports
—Drafted the model “Student Privacy Act” legislation that led to a wave of “bathroom bills” in 2017
—Defended state-enforced sterilization for transgender Europeans
—For years has promoted the idea of “homosexual agenda,” a purportedly evil plan to abolish Christianity and, eventually, civilization through LGBTQ people’s efforts to secure legal equality
—Falsely declared that LGBTQ people are more likely to engage in pedophilia
—Multiple efforts to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ couples by businesses
—More on Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)
Women’s Liberation Front
—Advised Ohio lawmakers on strategies to advance bills banning transgender students from using bathrooms matching their gender identity, and prohibiting transgender health care for youth.
—Created the “Women’s Bill of Rights,” legislation that defines sex strictly as the biological sex assigned at birth, and excludes transgender identities. Versions of this bill have been introduced in multiple states (and have reached the U.S House and Senate) to restrict the rights of transgender individuals.
—In an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, misgendered the plaintiff writing, “Simply, Aimee Stephens is a man.”
—Opposes the Equality Act
—Filed a joint brief in opposition to a lower court ruling in favor of Gavin Grimm, a trans boy who desired to use the boys’ restroom at his high school.
—More on Women’s Liberation Front
These organizations’ so-called “concerns” about trans kids are not new, and their anti-LGBTQ actions represent a longheld pattern. These groups have a long history of promoting discrimination against queer and transgender people.
The media have a responsibility to do their homework on their guests including researching and including the history of groups advocating against LGBTQ people. The GLAAD Accountability Project has profiles of public figures and groups and their records of targeting LGBTQ people. Journalists should challenge any unfounded and baseless claims. Media coverage of the issues facing transgender people should include the voices of transgender people.
Every major medical association and world health authority supports healthcare for transgender people. Accurately report there is widely-held consensus about the safety and efficacy of this mainstream care. Statements from medical associations and world health authorities here.