California Attorney General Rob Bonta has reiterated the state’s commitment to ensuring access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. The court upheld Tennessee’s Senate Bill 1, which prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender adolescents with gender dysphoria. This ruling was affirmed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of U.S. v. Skrmetti.
Attorney General Bonta had previously filed an amicus brief in September 2024, urging the court to overturn this judgment. He argued that banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors constitutes discrimination based on sex and transgender status, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The Supreme Court’s decision concluded that Tennessee’s law does not discriminate based on sex or transgender status but differentiates by age and medical treatment types. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, arguing that the majority failed to provide meaningful judicial review where it is most crucial.
“All Americans regardless of their gender identity have the inalienable right to equal protection under the law,” stated Attorney General Bonta. “This includes the right to access healthcare free from discrimination.”
Bonta expressed concern over rising violence and intimidation against LGBTQ+ communities nationwide, stating that laws like Tennessee’s Senate Bill 1 worsen these conditions by discriminating against transgender youth and denying them critical care.
“In California, we will continue to promote and protect access to healthcare, not restrict it,” he added. “My office and I remain committed to safeguarding and upholding the healthcare rights and freedoms for all individuals, including our transgender youth.”
A copy of the court’s decision is available online.
