US Supreme Court to take up case against gender-affirming healthcare for minors

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Gender-affirming healthcare for minors has been a hot topic issue across the country. The issue is coming center stage after the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case against gender-affirming care bans in Tennessee.

Similar bans have been challenged across the country.

“Just so you know a little closer to home here, South Dakota is located in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, and in Arkansas, there was a case out of Arkansas, last year in 2023 that a federal judge in the 8th Circuit like I said the same jurisdiction that South Dakota falls under, the judge permanently blocked the Arkansas law that aimed to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The judge said the law which is very similar to South Dakota’s, violates the constitutional rights of transgender youth, their parents and their medical providers,” ACLU South Dakota Communications Director, Janna Farley said.

South Dakota bans professionals from providing puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgery for minors as a treatment for gender dysphoria.

Monique Mousseau, a co-founder of Uniting Resilience said these bans are the opposite of progress.

“It shows how we have not grown in the United States since that constitution was developed and it’s very hurtful, hateful,” Mousseau said

“I’m asking everybody to please put yourself for a moment in my shoes and think how you would want to be treated if you were in my place,” drag queen, Virgo the Vixen commented.

The Supreme Court will hear the Tennessee case in its next term, with a decision likely in June 2025.

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