On June 18, 2025, in United States v. Skrmetti, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee Senate Bill 1, affirming that the state may ban puberty blockers, cross‑sex hormones, and related medical interventions for minors—with the conservative majority ruling the law does not breach the Equal Protection Clause.
Just over a month later, on July 21–23, the Trump-era Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Pamela Bondi, voluntarily dismissed the Biden-era DOJ’s lawsuit challenging that law, doing so with prejudice—meaning the case cannot be refiled. Bondi declared that the DOJ “will no longer be in the business of attacking laws like Tennessee’s that protect children.”
From a Catholic vantage point, this sequence is a cause for vibrant rejoicing. The Church has consistently taught that human dignity begins at conception and that children—especially the most vulnerable—must be shielded from irreversible bodily alterations. Allowing minors to undergo chemical or surgical interventions that conflict with their biological sex violates the Church’s moral teaching on the sanctity of the body and the proper stewardship of one’s identity.
Here’s why this is a significant moment worthy of high‑energy affirmation:
- A victory for life‑affirming law
Tennessee’s law is rooted in a protective impulse, seeking to preserve children from experimental medical procedures with uncertain outcomes. The Supreme Court’s ruling—validated by the DOJ’s withdrawal—underscores that states have the moral and legal authority to set boundaries in medical care for minors. - Bold moral clarity from leadership
Attorney General Bondi’s statement, describing puberty blockers and cross‑sex hormones as “barbaric” or “mutilating,” reflects a courageous moral stance. In Catholic tradition, we uphold language that identifies grave wrongs—in this case, protecting minors from procedures that alter God‑given bodies. - Empowering parental and legislative authority
Pope Benedict XVI taught that parents have the first responsibility to raise and protect their children—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Government action affirming state laws aligned with parental rights and natural law is a step toward reinstating moral clarity in legislation.
Catholics can praise this moment as one where truth resounds loud and clear. It signals a cultural shift away from gender ideology and toward biological reality—affirming that sex is a God‑given reality, not a fluid construct to be medically altered in youth.
There is no room for despair—only enthusiastic hope. To all faithful, let us lift our voices: thank God for leadership that honors children’s dignity, that recognizes the immutable truth of creation, and that boldly stands up for justice rooted in nature and divine law.
This moment reminds us that in turbulent times, Faith, Reason, and Law align to uphold truth—and in truth, we find victory.
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