The Supreme Court's conservative-leaning justices this week upheld a Tennessee ban on some gender-affirming care for youths, prompting immediate criticism from their liberal-leaning colleagues.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissent that “the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims.”
But one group on the left has been quiet since the ruling sent shockwaves: Democratic leaders across the country eyed as potential 2028 White House picks.
The lack of response to the 6-3 ruling underscores what some political observers have called the party’s continued nervousness over how to address an issue that became pivotal in the 2024 election. It also shows how fraught the topic may remain heading into the 2026 midterms that will decide control of Congress.
President Donald Trump campaigned heavily on a promise to ban gender-affirming care for youth and prevent transgender athletes from competing – and he's taken several executive actions impacting transgender Americans since the start of his second term.
