NAACP Denounces Supreme Court Decision to Deny Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 19, 2025

Contact: Chyna Fields, cfields@naacpnet.org 

WASHINGTON - NAACP denounces the 6-3 Supreme Court decision in United States v. Skrmetti, which upholds Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. This decision comes during a time when there has been an increase in violence and legislative action against the transgender and non-binary community.

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, issued the following statement: 

"The Supreme Court's decision strips transgender youth of hormone therapy and mental health support, care that is deemed medically necessary by health organizations. Transgender youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide as their peers, and now they're being denied care that can offer hope and survival. As Justice Sotomayor noted in her dissent, access to this care 'can be a question of life or death.' Medical decisions such as these should be made by the parents who know their children, not by courts or legislators.

"The NAACP stands with the transgender community. We will fight this injustice, litigate where necessary, and demand equality for every American. Our promise remains unshaken: all people deserve the right to live authentically and access the health care they need."

In the decision, the Court upheld Tennessee's Senate Bill 1 "prohibits all medical treatment intended to allow 'a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor's sex' or to treat 'purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor's sex and asserted identity." 

This outcome has far-reaching implications for transgender youth and their families in the other states that have tried to legislate the rights of transgender youth.

As an organization committed to fighting discrimination, the NAACP stands in solidarity with the families and youth affected by this outcome.

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About NAACP

The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.