The Supreme Court will consider a law restricting transition-related health care for minors for the first time Wednesday, and legal experts say the court’s decision could affect access to transition-related care nationwide for both minors and adults for decades to come.

Dr. Susan Lacy had been caring for transgender patients for several years in Tennessee when, in 2023, everything changed. In the span of a few months, the Republican-governed state banned healthcare providers from treating minors for gender dysphoria.

Conservative groups have for years sought to reduce the government’s sway over parents’ childrearing choices, particularly when it comes to decisions about school and health care.

It is a sensitive topic, coming from a law passed in 2023 by the Tennesse Legislature. The impact of the Supreme Court's decision on transgender care for children, worrying parents from both sides. Transgender children are banned in Tennessee from receiving gender-affirming care by law.

The logic of federalism, and judicial modesty, would seem to bolster the Volunteer State’s position in the transgender rights case to be heard at the Supreme Court next week. The dispute centers on whether Tennessee and 23 other states can ban sex changes and other so-called “gender affirming” medical treatments for children.