Liberal Media Loses It Over Supreme Court Decision To Ban Sterilizing Children In Tennessee

The Supreme Court upheld a ban on performing "gender-affirming care", a.k.a. genital mutilation and sterilization, on minors in the state of Tennessee and the liberal media lost its mind. In a 6-3 vote, SCOTUS ruled that the state of Tennessee's ban on this practice is within the Constitution, and it sets a precedent for states across the country that have similar protections in place for children. 

Obviously, this is a massive win for common sense. In America, people under the age of 18 cannot legally get a tattoo. Why? Because we have decided, as a nation, that under a certain age, people are not responsible enough to make life-altering decisions. Minors also can't vote in elections, deemed to be not informed enough to affect the future of the nation. 

Consider that people under the age of 21 cannot purchase or consume alcohol or nicotine products. Again, society has dictated that those under that age are not responsible enough to make those decisions. 

But where is the outcry about those bans? Why isn't the liberal media complaining that the tattoo law is an infringement on the rights of "tattoo enthusiasts?" Where are the think-pieces that argue prohibiting alcohol sales to people under 21 unfairly impact the rights of alcoholics? 

The Supreme Court upheld a ban on performing "gender-affirming care", a.k.a. genital mutilation and sterilization, on minors in the state of Tennessee and the liberal media lost its mind.

(Mikala Compton/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Yet, when it comes to this issue, the left-wing media completely loses the plot. The vast majority of Americans do not believe that "gender-affirming care" – which effectively includes sterilization, genital mutilation and a lifetime of medication – should be performed on children. 

Take a look at how several major left-wing media outlets chose to frame the Supreme Court decision. They all used eerily similar language – in some cases the exact same phrasing – that almost exclusively contained some version of the phrase "a setback to transgender rights." 

How is it that almost every major news outlet posted a nearly identical reaction to this ruling? We can easily fix the headline for them: "The Supreme Court upheld a ban on the sterilization and mutilation of minors, a huge win for people who want to protect children from harm." Was that so difficult? 

At OutKick, we have remained consistent on this issue. If an adult wants to undergo these treatments of their own volition, have at it. This is America, and they are free to make that choice. Now, if a male decides to undergo these treatments, that doesn't mean he gets to compete in women's sports or use women's bathrooms and locker rooms. That person might see himself as a woman, but we are under no obligation to "affirm" that and change the rules so he feels more comfortable. 

But performing these procedures on minors borders on child abuse. Children are not equipped to make decisions that alter their lives, which is why we have protections in place. It used to be up to parents to protect their children, but unfortunately, many parents have bought into this "gender ideology" nonsense and can no longer be trusted to do what's in the best interest of their children. 

Good for the Supreme Court standing up for common sense and protecting children. It's unbelievable that we have to applaud decisions that should be considered obvious, but that's where we are in 2025.