Oscar-nominated actor Elliot Page and 63 other transgender adults have filed a Supreme Court brief sharing their views and experiences ahead of an important transgender rights case this coming high court term — which kicks off in October.
The case involves Tennessee Senate Bill 1, which prohibits medical treatments that are intended to allow a minor “to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex” or to treat “purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity.”
The legal question in the appeal, United States v. Skrmetti, is whether SB1 violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.
In the brief filed Tuesday, Page and dozens of other transgender people — including teachers, lawyers, scientists, artists, athletes, public servants, medical professionals and faith leaders — told the justices that they’re thriving because of gender-affirming care. Among those who signed the amicus brief are “Supergirl” star Nicole Maines and Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride.
“The healthcare that SB1 and the twenty-three laws like it prohibit is lifesaving,” the signers wrote, adding that Tennessee’s view that such care worsens distress or is unsuitable for adolescents is contradicted not only by medical science but also by their own experiences and the “overwhelming majority” of transgender people.
“Early care relieved gender dysphoria and, for some, has even saved their lives,” they wrote. The court filing highlights the real-world stakes of what’s set to be one of the more closely watched cases this coming Supreme Court term, with a decision expected by the end of June. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for updates and expert analysis on the top legal stories. The newsletter will return to its regular weekly schedule when the Supreme Court’s next term kicks off in October.
Jordan Rubin is the Deadline: Legal Blog writer. He was a prosecutor for the New York County District Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and is the author of “Bizarro," a book about the secret war on synthetic drugs. Before he joined MS NOW, he was a legal reporter for Bloomberg Law.
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