CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois residents are reacting, as the U.S. Supreme Court heard a landmark case Wednesday.
The country’s high court is taking up the question of whether states can ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.
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The situation originates from Tennessee, one of the 26 states that have taken steps to prohibit the administration of puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors wishing to express a gender different from the one they were born with.
Oral arguments lasted longer than two and a half hours Wednesday, more than double the allotted time.
It’s just one indication of the high-profile, emotionally fraught nature of the public debate surrounding healthcare for transgender minors.
Local LGBTQ-plus groups say, with the Supreme Court case, their rights are on the line.
“Thanks to the laws in place in Illinois, I can live genuinely true to myself physically, vocally, and mentally,” stated Zahara Bassett, the founder and CEO of Life is Work.
Bassett describes herself as a Black woman of trans experience.
Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, she came out in eighth grade, and began taking hormones when she was 17.
Bassett said if gender-affirming care wasn’t made available to her, she wouldn’t be here today.
“If it weren’t for being able to live authentically, my situation would be dire. I would likely find myself homeless, possibly on the streets, struggling with substance abuse or other challenges, simply because society doesn’t accept me for who I truly am,” shared Bassett.
The case in front of the Supreme Court was brought by a family in Nashville whose now-16-year-old daughter came out as transgender when she was in seventh grade. She goes by “LW,” and spoke to ABC News, but asked not to show her face.
“It’s not very comfortable being trapped in, you know, cause it doesn’t really feel like you,” LW said.
LW and her parents ultimately decided to start using medication to delay puberty and later hormone therapy to combat gender dysphoria. But, last year, Tennessee lawmakers banned the treatments, in part, citing uncertain long-term harm.
Former President of the Chicago-based American Medical Association Dr. Jack Resneck previously said in part, “Our AMA strongly opposes these types of discriminatory actions as dangerous government intrusions into the practice of medicine.”
Professor Harold Krent at Chicago-Kent College of Law said this case mirrors other human and civil rights cases in recent decades.
“The argument would be, historically, we’ve seen so much damage done for discrimination and stereotypes based upon race in particular, but, also in sex, that we want to have a check on the legislature from making those kinds of judgments,” Krent said.
And, on that point, Chief Justice John Roberts questioned Wednesday, whether the high court was best-situated to address evolving medical issues, or if they should be decided by the states.
A ruling is not immediately expected; it may take several months.
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