Elliot Page, Nicole Maines and Over 60 Other Transgender Adults Urge Supreme Court to Block Ban on Hormone Therapies for Transgender Youth

[New York, NY] – Today, Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of over 60 transgender adults, whose lives benefitted immensely from medically necessary gender-affirming healthcare, including Hollywood actors Elliot Page and Nicole Maines, urging the Supreme Court of the United States to block a state law banning hormone therapies for trans youth in Tennessee.  

In the case, L.W. v Skrmetti, Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville, TN and their 16-year-old transgender daughter, along with two other families, are challenging a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for transgender people under 18. Tennessee is home to over 3,000 transgender adolescents and the health care banned by this law is supported by the entire mainstream of the medical community. 
 
"The people who contributed to this brief, like the diverse community of trans people they represent, have found joy and meaning in their lives, regardless of age, race, faith, or origin. No matter their differences, each of their stories credits gender affirming healthcare as the key that unlocked their ability to become happy, successful, and engaged with the world around them," said Sydney Duncan, Senior Counsel at A4TE. "We are living proof that gender affirming healthcare matters, that it is good, and that it is right. Transgender youth, their families, their doctors - and certainly not politicians - should be the ones making these medical decisions. We ask the Supreme Court to strike down this cruel and discriminatory law.”  
 
“When I started living as my true self, I would sometimes catch short sharp glimpses of my reflection in windows and cars as I’d walk along or ride my bike. It would make my heart skip a beat. The silhouette of my shadow on the ground cast by the afternoon sun was exhilarating and life-affirming. If no one else did, the Sun saw me as I am,” said Lilly Wachowski, filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer, in the brief.  
 
In April 2023, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Tennessee, Lambda Legal, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP sued the State of Tennessee to block S.B 1 which prohibits medical providers from prescribing medical treatments to transgender youth, such as puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapies, that is exempts for minors who are not transgender. Following a decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, S.B. 1 took effect in July 2023. Since 2021, 24 states have banned hormone therapies for transgender youth.   
 
In the brief filed today by A4TE, transgender and nonbinary leaders share their stories about how gender-affirming care has changed their lives for the better. The brief highlights the incredible contributions these trans adults have made to their communities, the hardships of gender dysphoria, and the joys of transitioning.  

Oral arguments in U.S. v. Skrmetti are expected during this Supreme Court term, with a ruling expected in 2025.  

Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) is an organization that fights for the legal and political rights of transgender people in the United States. Introduced in July 2024 after the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund and National Center for Trans Equality merged, A4TE is the largest trans-led advocacy organization in the U.S. and brings together experts, advocates, and communities to shift government and society toward an equitable future where trans people live joyful lives without barriers.  

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