Ahead of Supreme Court oral arguments, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti submits an amicus brief supporting the state's prohibition on transgender medical procedures for children.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has emerged as a staunch defender of his state's ban on sex-change surgeries for children, filing an amicus brief ahead of oral arguments before the Supreme Court this fall. The law, passed in 2023, prohibits medical providers from performing sex-change surgeries on minors, as well as administering puberty blockers and other hormone-suppressing treatments.
Skrmetti's brief underscores the state's unwavering stance on protecting children from irreversible medical procedures with potentially detrimental long-term consequences. In an interview with Fox News Digital, he elaborated on the exponential rise in the number of children seeking gender-transitioning treatments, particularly among girls. He expressed concern that this surge has prompted an urgent need for safeguarding measures.
Tennessee AG Spearheads Defense of State Ban on Sex-Change Surgeries for Minors
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) serves as one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging Tennessee's law. As the Supreme Court reconvened for its October term, Skrmetti joined forces with Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to emphasize the importance of this case.
"The reason it's getting attention now is because it's fairly new," Skrmetti explained. "We've seen a really dramatic increase in both the overall number of kids who are accessing these procedures, and especially the number of girls who are getting these procedures, that number has skyrocketed from where it was, and it was only a matter of time before this sort of elevated itself as an issue."
Tennessee AG Spearheads Defense of State Ban on Sex-Change Surgeries for Minors
The 18-page amicus brief submitted to the Supreme Court includes compelling affidavit testimony from a Missouri whistleblower, Jamie Reed, who worked at a transgender medical center. Reed alleges that these centers often engage in unethical practices, pressuring parents into consenting to irreversible treatments by falsely claiming their children face a greater risk of suicide if they don't receive them.
"There is every reason to believe these problems affect more than just the largest transgender center in Missouri," the briefing states, citing corroborating reports from the New York Times and other outlets.
Tennessee AG Spearheads Defense of State Ban on Sex-Change Surgeries for Minors
Reed's affidavit refutes common misconceptions about suicide rates among transgender youth, presenting data that shows a maximum rate of 0.03%, with no significant change before or after medical interventions. However, she claims that parents were often misled about these risks to gain their consent.
The brief also highlights concerns that the center advertised comprehensive mental health assessments but rarely conducted them, often resorting to one or two sessions before transitioning minors. This approach allegedly led to interventions for children with unmanaged comorbidities, such as autism, ADHD, and anxiety.
Tennessee AG Spearheads Defense of State Ban on Sex-Change Surgeries for Minors
Reed's affidavit further alleges that the center misled lawmakers by denying that minors received sex-change surgeries, despite evidence to the contrary. It also highlights the center's failure to collect custody agreements, resulting in non-guardian adults bringing children for treatment without parental consent.
"Because of this policy, children would present at the clinic with non-guardian adults after guardian adults refused consent," the brief states.
Bailey, in a statement to Fox News Digital, stressed the paramount importance of informing the Supreme Court about the realities unfolding within these clinics. "Radical activists are lying to parents and preying upon vulnerable children. When a credible whistleblower comes forward and swears under oath that children are being experimented on without parental knowledge, I take that seriously," he said.
As the 2024 general election approaches, transgender treatments for children have emerged as a highly contentious issue. While more states have implemented bans on such practices, other liberal states have enacted laws protecting medical providers from lawsuits stemming from restrictive policies. A recent study by medical advocacy group Do No Harm conservatively identified over 5,700 minors who underwent sex-change surgery and 13,994 who received gender reassignment treatment between 2019 and 2023 nationwide.
