Recent Supreme Court Decisions: Where to Even Begin?

As is always the case in mid June to late June, the United States Supreme Court announced a series of decisions. And this term, the decisions are overwhelmingly alarming, and goes against any notions of liberty and justice for all:

Anti-LGBTQ+ Decisions…on Pride Month, of All Months

There were multiple anti-LGBTQ+ decisions that came down on Pride Month.

There was the ruling that a group of Maryland parents had the right to opt their elementary school-aged children out of classroom lessons with LGBTQ+ themes. The argument was that not giving this option was a violation of freedom of religion. What this decision fails to consider is that the treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals in our society is a public health issue, and specifically, a mental health issue (due to the extraordinarily high rate of attempting suicide among LGBTQ+ youth). And one of the things that reduces suicide risk among LGBTQ+ youth is providing LGBTQ-affirming spaces. This is an important consideration because public health is one of the few limitations when it comes to freedom of religion. 

Also damaging was the case Skrmetti v. U.S., where the Court ruled that Tennessee could ban gender-affirming care to minors. Speaking of suicide, transgender and non-binary people who have access to gender-affirming care report lower rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts than than those who want it but don’t receive it. It pains us to say this, but kids are going to die because of this Supreme Court decision.

A Decision that Limits the Scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act…a Month Before Its 35th Anniversary

This month marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark piece of legislation for disability rights.

A month before said anniversary, in the case Stanley v. Sanford, the Court ruled that a retiree did not have standing to sue the city they worked for, as a result of reducing health benefits for disabled retirees. In particular, it was determined that the city cannot be sued under ADA grounds.

We affirm that disability rights should exist, for both current and former workers. And it is extremely disappointing that the Court does not take the same view. Both the majority opinion and the dissent agree that Congress should step in to address situations like this. We hope Congress steps up. Now that would be both big and beautiful.

A Potentially Concerning Case for Birthright Citizenship

The Supreme Court also made a decision to curb nationwide injunctions that stood in the way of the Trump administration’s proposal to end birthright citizenship.

While birthright citizenship remains unchanged as it stands, anything to make it an easier path to end it should alarm every American. And, most of all, it should be a reminder that no American is safe–not even those of us who may think right now that we are safe.

So…What Now?

This is a hard question to answer, given the extent to which the Supreme Court is going after what is right and just.

One basic charge is this: to not let all this discouraging news let us crush our spirits, so that we refuse to advocate for a country and world better than what we currently have. Some will want our collective spirits to be crushed. But if we let that happen, then injustice will only continue to prevail, and justice will only continue to lose. 

But if we continue to advocate for and fight for justice, then we give ourselves a chance of justice eventually prevailing, even if the road there might not be easy or straightforward.