Montgomery, AL – On June 21, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6–3 decision in United States v. Skrmetti, upholding Tennessee’s law that imposes age-based restrictions on access to certain medical procedures for minors, including the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries related to gender transition. The ruling, which rejected an Equal Protection Clause challenge brought by the Biden Administration and the ACLU, clears the way for similar laws in over 25 states, including Alabama, to be enforced.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who supported Tennessee’s defense, issued a statement celebrating the decision. “Until a few years ago, the notion of providing sex-change procedures to children was practically unthinkable,” Marshall said, while also emphasizing the states’ authority to regulate medical practices. He argued that decisions regarding youth gender treatments should rest with state governments, not federal courts or medical interest groups.
Marshall submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in the Skrmetti case, highlighting findings from Alabama’s litigation. His brief was cited by both Chief Justice John Roberts in the majority opinion and Justice Clarence Thomas in a concurring opinion. The brief alleged that the development of WPATH’s Standards was influenced by political and legal considerations rather than a rigorous, evidence-based approach.
Alabama’s involvement in the broader national debate over gender-related medical care for minors has been ongoing. In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services addressed some of the findings from Alabama’s legal proceedings in its review of pediatric gender dysphoria treatment practices.
