Michiganders promise to fight like hell for transgender youth after Supreme Court ruling

Despite the Supreme Court’s decision in US v. Skrmetti, LGBTQ+ advocates remind ‘Ganders that gender-affirming hormone therapy is safe in Michigan—and offer ways to keep communities updated.

On the morning of June 18, more than halfway through Pride Month, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling in the court case US v. Skrmetti to uphold Tennessee’s categorical ban on hormonal therapies for transgender youth.

“This decision is cruel and dangerous. It ignores the overwhelming consensus of the medical community and opens the door for politicians to play games with kids’ lives,” said Erin Knott, executive director of Equality Michigan (EQMI), a statewide LGBTQ+ political advocacy organization.

Gender-affirming care includes counseling and mental health support, as well as some medical treatments, such as hormones and puberty blockers, that can help transgender and nonbinary people feel comfortable and accepted as themselves.

Only 13% of transgender and nonbinary young people in the US report being on gender-affirming hormones, and just 2% report taking puberty blockers, which can be used to delay changes of puberty in transgender and gender-diverse youth who have started puberty, according to The Trevor Project’s 2024 US National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People.

Without access to gender-affirming care, which has been approved by every major US medical association and world health authority, transgender and nonbinary youth have higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide. 

Related: A therapist and a scientist talk about how gender-affirming care impacts LGBTQ+ youth in Michigan

However, because no law in Michigan bans transgender health care, the Supreme Court’s decision does not currently impact health care for transgender youth in the state, according to Emme Zanotti, EQMI’s senior director of movement building and political affairs.

“Transgender health care is safe, essential, and legal here in Michigan,” wrote Zanotti in an email, adding that EQMI will continue working alongside lawmakers and health care providers to protect transgender medical care and the people who rely on it.

“For youth and families in Michigan, this decision should have no impact on your continued access to health care. If you do experience a disruption to your care, please let us know.”

If any parent, young person, or medical provider encounters barriers to this essential health care as a result of the US Supreme Court ruling, or because of increased stigma or confusion, EQMI urges Michiganders to use the organization’s online reporting form. 

On June 26, alongside the ACLU, Equality Michigan will be co-hosting a statewide virtual webinar from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. to discuss the Supreme Court decision and offer ‘Ganders an opportunity to ask panelists questions related to the case and other relevant issues impacting Michigan’s LGBTQ+ community. 

“In Michigan, we stand firm,” said Knott in a recent press release. 

“Trans youth are loved, protected, and supported here. We will fight like hell to keep it that way.”

Related: Pride is more than just a party for rural Michiganders—it’s about community.