While many Democrats condemned the Supreme Court’s recent 6-3 decision to uphold Tennessee’s ban on transgender medical interventions for minors as a major defeat, at least one California Democrat is celebrating the outcome.
“I am absolutely thrilled,” said Erin Friday, a San Francisco-based attorney, parental rights advocate, and lifelong Democrat. “My heart absolutely burst. I broke down in tears.”
Friday, who became involved in the transgender debate after her own daughter briefly questioned her gender identity, called the decision a turning point and praised the majority opinion as a potential game-changer for future legal battles.
“This ruling will have far-reaching effects,” she said.
“Justice Alito wrote about sex being biological — that’s going to be crucial in future cases, especially around keeping biological males out of girls’ sports,” Friday explained. “And Justice Thomas went even further, citing the lack of scientific evidence behind these interventions, referencing the shift happening in Europe, and questioning the very notion of gender identity.”
While liberal justices dissented sharply — with Justice Sonia Sotomayor warning of “untold harm” to transgender youth — Friday said the decision underscores a growing legal skepticism about the medicalization of gender dysphoria in minors.
“This opinion dismantles the idea that gender identity has a solid basis,” she added.
Friday also urged Congress to act, arguing that children in Democratic-led states are still vulnerable.
“We need to protect all children in the United States,” she said. “Not just those lucky enough to live in Republican states.”
The Supreme Court’s ruling upheld Tennessee’s law restricting gender-related medical treatments for minors, such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers. The case is seen as a pivotal moment in the broader national debate over parental rights, medical ethics, and transgender policy.
With input from Fox News
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