West Tennessee, ELCA Synod express support for trans youth after SCOTUS ruling denies gender-affirming care

The Lutheran Church of the Reformation near the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., held a gender-affirming care rally on June 18, 2025, in response to the court’s ruling upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision in the case of U.S. v. Skrmetti that Tennessee’s ban, which bans puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender and nonbinary youth, does not violate the U.S. Constitution and can remain in effect. Photo: Bryan Dozier/AP

[Episcopal News Service] The Memphis-based Diocese of West Tennessee and the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America released a pastoral letter “with heavy hearts” expressing their commitment to support transgender youth and their families in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling last week upholding a Tennessee ban on providing gender-affirming medical care for trans and nonbinary minors.

“Today, transgender youth and their families find themselves in positions of profound vulnerability, facing legal barriers to accessing health care that medical professionals and major medical associations consider appropriate and necessary,” the June 23 letter said. “In our Lutheran and Episcopal traditions, we proclaim the fundamental truth that every human being is created in the image of God – the imago Dei – and is therefore deserving of dignity, respect, and love.”

In 2023, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and other legal groups sued the state on behalf of a Nashville couple and their 15-year-old trans daughter, a Memphis-based doctor and two other anonymous plaintiffs.

The Supreme Court ruling against the plaintiffs in the case, United States v. Skrmetti, now permits similar bans in 25 other states – where an estimated 39.4% of trans youth live, according to the Human Rights Campaign – and effectively prevents extending new constitutional protections to trans people. Some states, like Ohio and Florida, have gone further and moved to restrict access to gender-affirming care for adults. Some advocates fear that the court’s June 18 ruling could lead to bans on other forms of health care, like birth control, in vitro fertilization or vaccines.

Out of 940 anti-trans bills introduced in 49 states so far in 2025 by federal, state and local legislators, 115 have already passed, and 729 cases remain active, according to Trans Legislation Tracker, an independent research organization that tracks bills affecting anti-trans and gender-diverse people in the United States.

“Both Episcopal and Lutheran social teachings call us to work for systemic change that promotes human dignity and wellbeing,” the letter said. “We continue to advocate at local, state, and federal levels for policies that protect the rights and health care access of transgender individuals, particularly minors who are most vulnerable to legislative restrictions. Our collaborative efforts to advocate for and provide access to health care for all is a matter of justice for all people.”

Several independent studies conducted by professional medical organizations find that access to gender-affirming care – including puberty blockers, hormones and surgical procedures – improves the mental health of trans and nonbinary youth, reducing depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.

The ruling was decided one day after the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer offer the “Press 3 option” for LGBTQ+ youth-specific services. 

The latest data from The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization committed to providing counseling and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth, shows that 90% of young LGBTQ+ people reported recent politics has “negatively impacted” their well-being, and 45% of trans and nonbinary people or their families have considered moving to a different state because of LGBTQ+-related politics and legislation. The same report shows that young LGBTQ+ people who live in “very accepting” communities attempt suicide at less than half the rate of those who live in “very unaccepting” communities.

In the letter, the diocese and synod listed four commitments:

• Praying for trans youth, their families and their allies.
• Working to understand practically the meaning of being welcoming and inclusive communities.
• Supporting organizations that provide resources for trans people.
• Proclaiming “the Gospel truth that God’s love knows no boundaries.”

“While last week’s ruling represents a significant setback, we are reminded that God’s justice is not bound by human institutions or court decisions,” the leaders said. “It is incredibly important for us to stand together with all who identify as transgender, gender non-binary, or gender fluid. Please hear us clearly say: We see you. We love you. We are with you. You are beloved children of God. Your identity is sacred, your dignity is non-negotiable, and your place in God’s reign is secure.”

TransEpiscopal, a group that advocates for more inclusive church policies toward transgender people, last week released a statement calling on Episcopalians to “stand with us” in response to United States v. Skrmetti:

“We are afflicted but not crushed, perplexed but not despairing, persecuted but not forsaken, struck but not destroyed,” the June 18 statement said. “For we struggle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places, confident that Jesus’ risen life is being made visible in our bodies.”

-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.