The Supreme Court’s Skrmetti Ruling Will Harm Trans Youth

On June 18, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 in U.S. v. Skrmetti to uphold state bans on gender-affirming care for minors. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion. He claimed, “Our role is not to judge the wisdom, fairness, or logic of the law before us.” That is false. The Court’s job is to weigh fairness and protect constitutional rights. This ruling fails that duty. It will do real harm to young people.

The Facts Are Clear

The Trevor Project surveyed over 18,000 LGBTQ+ youth in 2024. Forty-six percent of trans and nonbinary youth said they seriously considered suicide in the past year. Fourteen percent attempted it. The risk increases when states pass anti-trans laws. A separate study from the same year showed suicide attempts rose by 72 percent in states that passed such laws.

When trans youth get proper care, the outcomes improve. A 2022 study in the journal JAMA found that puberty blockers cut depression by 60 percent. They lowered suicidal thoughts by 73 percent. Every major medical group in the United States supports these treatments. The science is not in doubt.

Parents Are Being Silenced

Supporters of these bans say they protect parental rights. That is dishonest. These laws take away a parent’s right to seek care for their child. In Tennessee, Florida, and other states, parents are blocked from consenting to puberty blockers or hormone therapy, even after consulting doctors.

Florida has gone further. It passed laws that ban teachers from discussing LGBTQ+ topics in the classroom. It has removed books with LGBTQ+ themes from school libraries. Teachers can lose their jobs for affirming students. These are not policies that protect families. They are efforts to erase people.

The Court’s Excuse Is Not Acceptable

Chief Justice Roberts said the Court would not judge the law’s fairness. That is precisely what the Court must do. The 14th Amendment promises equal protection. When the law singles out one group for harm, the Court must stop it. It failed to do that here.

The ruling claims to defer to the states. However, letting states target trans youth is not neutral. It is an endorsement of fear over evidence. It gives power to misinformation and politics, not facts or rights.

The Legal Response Is Only One Part

As legal scholar Sam Ames wrote in their article What U.S. v. Skrmetti Did—and What It Can Never Do, the ruling cannot erase trans people. Laws may try to limit care. They cannot erase identity or community. They cannot stop people from fighting back.

SCOTUSblog also warned about this ruling. It noted that the same political agenda pushes aside basic legal protections, including for the environment. This is part of a pattern. It affects more than health care. It reaches into every area where truth is being traded for power.

What Must Happen Next

• To the press: Tell the truth. Report the damage this ruling will cause.
• To lawmakers: Stop pretending this is about family. It is about fear. Choose science. Choose life.
• To parents: Speak up. You know what your child needs. Demand the right to provide it.
• To educators: Refuse to be silenced. Your support may save a life.
• To the Supreme Court: You failed. Your duty is not just to read laws. It is to protect people.

This Fight Is Not Over

Transgender youth are not political weapons. They are children who want to live. They deserve care. They deserve safety. They deserve the same rights as anyone else.

This ruling will hurt them. It may kill some of them. That is the cost of what the Court decided.

But they are still here. They will keep fighting. So will their families. So will we.