The federal government is suing the state of Tennessee to stop a new law that prohibits doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or cross sex hormones to minors, and prevents gender surgeries before the age of majority.
Tennessee’s law protects children from life altering medical consequences, but the Department of Justice (DOJ) claims the law violates the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment of the Constitution, discriminating due to sex and transgender status.
In a statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a statement that “no person should be denied access to necessary medical care because of their transgender status.” Clarke sent a letter to state general attorneys all across the country last month warning them about such discrimination.
