T.D. v. Wrigley:
SCOTUS fails to protect trans youth, allows state bans on gender-affirming care
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2025
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Noah Parrish, Communications Director
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651.432.0171
In a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled in U.S. v. Skrmetti that state bans on medically necessary, gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, do not violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. This is a devastating decision that puts politics over science, threatens the health and wellbeing of young people, and reinterprets the 14th Amendment in a way that weakens long standing protections for individual liberty and equal protection under the law.
The decision could have far-reaching consequences not just for transgender health care, but also for access to birth control, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and other essential medical care. By opening the door to more government intrusion into deeply personal decisions, the Court has further threatened our most basic rights to privacy and bodily autonomy.
Gender Justice, alongside the Lawyering Project, serves as legal counsel in T.D. v. Wrigley, a case challenging North Dakota’s 2023 ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. This case will continue forward, as it is challenging the ban on the grounds it violates the right to personal autonomy granted under the North Dakota state constitution. The case remains active, and we are currently awaiting a decision from the district court.
Brittany Stewart, senior staff attorney at Gender Justice issued the following statement:
“In Minnesota, transgender youth can still access the care they need thanks to strong state-level protections. However, today’s ruling opens the door to broader federal attacks, not only on trans health care, but on the right of all people to make personal medical decisions without political interference. We’re calling on Minnesota’s leaders, health care providers, and communities to stand strong and ensure our state continues to be a safe haven for everyone seeking care, dignity, and freedom over their own bodies.
Families—not politicians—should be the ones making decisions about their children’s health care. Our case in North Dakota is still moving forward, and we’re committed to defending the constitutional rights of parents, medical providers, and young people against government overreach into personal medical decisions. This case is about more than just transgender health care, it’s about protecting the freedom of all families to make private decisions without political interference.”
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