ReportOUT condemns U.S. Supreme Court decision on gender affirming care as a violation of human rights and a dangerous global signal

Changing times: US Supreme Court in a more progressive era when it legalised same-sex marriage across the USA in 2015. Photo credit: Ted Eytan

Sunderland, UK— As an international human rights organisation that monitors and challenges the persecution of LGBTQ+ people globally, ReportOUT unequivocally condemns the decision of the United States Supreme Court in United States v. Skrmetti.

The ruling upholds US State Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors—a policy that constitutes a clear and alarming violation of internationally recognised human rights.

Transphobic policymaking is increasingly being exported, and this ruling adds fuel to that fire - Drew Dalton, CEO ReportOUT

This ruling is not merely a domestic legal setback. It is a global human rights failure.

By permitting the criminalisation of gender-affirming healthcare for youth, the United States has sent a chilling message to governments and anti-LGBTQ+ regimes around the globe: that trans rights are negotiable, that science can be subverted for politics, and that the dignity and self-determination of young people can be sacrificed for ideological gain.

Let us be clear: denying access to healthcare on the basis of gender identity is a form of structural violence.

It is a breach of international human rights law, including the rights to health, privacy, non-discrimination, and the best interests of the child, as enshrined in instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

"This decision legitimises a dangerous trend," said Drew Dalton, Founder and Chair at ReportOUT. "When the U.S. Supreme Court gives legal cover to anti-trans legislation, it emboldens governments around the world to do the same. We have documented such ripple effects across Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Asia. Transphobic policymaking is increasingly being exported, and this ruling adds fuel to that fire."

What this decision does:

• Codifies state-level discrimination into constitutional law under the guise of neutrality.

• Ignores global medical consensus that gender-affirming care is safe, evidence-based, and essential for trans youth’s mental health and survival.

• Strips young people of their right to bodily autonomy, while falsely framing this as a debate over states’ rights or parental control.

This is not a legal nuance—it is a human rights crisis

ReportOUT calls on international allies, human rights bodies, and civil society actors to:

·       Speak out collectively and unequivocally against the U.S. ruling.

·       Increase pressure on the U.S. federal government to intervene legislatively and diplomatically.

·       Offer solidarity and tangible support to trans youth, families, and providers facing legal persecution across U.S. states.

We also urge international monitoring mechanisms—including the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights—to investigate and respond to the systemic erosion of trans rights within the United States.

To the trans youth of Tennessee and across the U.S.: you are not alone. We see you. Your existence is valid. Your identity is not up for political debate. And your rights are human rights—non-negotiable, indivisible, and worth defending at every level.