Elliot Page Calls on Supreme Court to Reject Tennessee Anti-Trans Law
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In a powerful move, actor Elliot Page has added his name to the growing list of voices calling for the US Supreme Court to reject Tennessee’s law that would ban gender-affirming care for minors. Page, along with 56 other transgender adults, including notable figures like Lilly Wachowski and Nicole Maines, has filed a brief urging the Supreme Court to consider rejecting the ban that was signed into law earlier this year.
The ban, which has faced widespread criticism since its enactment in March, prohibits Tennessee medical professionals from providing crucial gender-affirming care to transgender individuals under the age of 18. This includes treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and surgical procedures. Furthermore, the law also mandates that trans youth who were already receiving gender-affirming care prior to the ban must cease their treatment by March 31, 2024.
Page and the other signatories of the brief argue that this ban would have a detrimental impact on young people in Tennessee. They emphasize that many individuals were fortunate enough to begin receiving gender-affirming care as minors, which they describe as crucial to their well-being and even survival. The brief highlights the barriers to accessing this care that many trans youth face due to discrimination, noting that for some, the delay in receiving care during adolescence has caused significant suffering.
Page’s personal experience as a transgender individual further emphasizes the importance of gender-affirming care. Since publicly coming out as transgender in 2020, Page has been open about how transitioning has significantly improved his life in every possible way. In interviews and his memoir, Pageboy, he has expressed how being able to live authentically has positively impacted his mental health, creativity, and overall well-being. He has also spoken about previously feeling hopeless and unable to envision a future before his transition.
Now, Page is using his platform to advocate for others by supporting the fight against Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care. The brief filed with the Supreme Court highlights how this care has alleviated the suffering of countless transgender individuals and has allowed them to live more fulfilling and joyful lives. This latest effort follows a lawsuit filed by the families of transgender children in April, which was later joined by the US Department of Justice, calling for the ban to be blocked.
In June, a federal judge ruled in favor of blocking the ban, but this decision was later reversed in a federal appeals court case in September. Last month, the families involved in the lawsuit petitioned the US Supreme Court to issue a preliminary injunction that would prevent the ban from being enforced until the cases against it are settled.
It is important to note that gender-affirming care is widely endorsed by major medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Medical Association, the World Medical Association, and the World Health Organization. Countless studies have demonstrated the benefits of this care, showing that it significantly reduces rates of depression and suicide among transgender individuals.
With Elliot Page and other prominent voices joining the fight against Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care, there is hope for progress in protecting the rights and well-being of transgender youth. The collective demand for the Supreme Court to reject this harmful law highlights the urgent need for policies that support transgender individuals and their access to critical healthcare. As the legal battle continues, it is crucial that society listens to and respects the voices of those most affected by these discriminatory policies.
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“Elliot Page Tennessee anti-trans law”
