Tennessee has been at the forefront of banning gender mutilation surgeries for minors, but President Biden’s Department of Justice is now firing back by suing the Volunteer State.
The bill at the center of the controversy, titled “SB 1,” is set to take effect in July and will prohibit doctors in the state from performing sex-changing surgeries for those under 18 years of age. The bill has also been nicknamed as the “anti-trans youth bill” by critics.
The Justice Department released a statement, saying that Tennessee’s latest bill “denies necessary medical care to youth based solely on who they are.”“SB1 violates the constitutional rights of some of Tennessee’s most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Left unchallenged, it would prohibit transgender children from receiving health care that their medical providers and their parents have determined to be medically necessary. In doing so, the law seeks to substitute the judgment of trained medical professionals and parents with that of elected officials and codifies discrimination against children who already face far too many obstacles.”
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In response to the lawsuit and critics, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee posted the following message:
Tennessee is committed to protecting children from permanent, life-altering decisions. This is federal overreach at its worst, and we will work with Attorney General Skrmetti to push back in court and stand up for children. https://t.co/ByrXpTeNUU
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) April 27, 2023
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