Washington, D.C. — Transgender advocates converged at the Supreme Court for the oral arguments of U.S. vs Skrmetti, a case that will decide the fate of access to gender-affirming care for trans minors.

Unicorn Riot was on the ground covering a rally near the U.S. Supreme Court Building steps Wednesday morning.

The U.S. vs. Skrmetti case began in Tennessee, with the ACLU and Lambda Legal collective representing L.W. and her parents, Samantha and Brian Williams. Tennessee passed a ban on gender-affirming care for minors in February 2023, which was signed into law in March of that year. Though the bill was initially blocked, it took effect in July 2023, and L.W. and other trans minors already receiving gender-affirming care were forced to stop by March 2024.

The Tennessee law currently allows non-transgender children to access medicines like puberty blockers, but it restricts access for trans youth. Currently, 26 states have enacted gender-affirming care restrictions for trans youth — which accounts for an estimated 39.4% of the trans youth population. 

A decision on this ruling is not expected until June 2025 at the latest. 

Organizations that have raised the profile of this case include the ACLU, Lamda Legal Collective, Transgender Law Center, Human Rights Campaign and National LGBTQ+ Task Force.

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