The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral argument on Dec. 4 in a major case that could alter how courts apply the Constitution and view legal disputes over social issues involving gender.
In U.S. v. Skrmetti, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar is asking the court to end Tennessee’s prohibition on so-called “gender-affirming care,” such as puberty blockers and surgical procedures, for minors.
Tennessee and other states have maintained that such medical procedures are dangerous and don’t have a solid basis in science. Prelogar has argued that Tennessee’s law constitutes sex-based discrimination and violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which generally ensures states provide equal protection to all people within their respective jurisdictions….