The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday denied an emergency request from the Trump administration aimed at immediately halting gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender inmates in federal prisons. The justices ruled in the case Trump v. Kingdom by a 7-2 vote — meaning that four of the conservative justices sided with the White House, including Trump-appointed justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. As a result, a prior injunction remains in effect, safeguarding the medical care of transgender prisoners in federal custody.
President Donald Trump had already issued a decree on his first day in office after his reelection to stop the medical treatment of transgender inmates, on January 20, 2025. Afterward, the federal prison service planned to phase out hormone therapies for transgender prisoners, with gender-affirming surgeries to be banned entirely. Access to aids such as wigs or makeup was also to be cut off by the prison administration. According to officials, about 600 inmates who received hormone treatment in 2025 would be affected.
The lawsuit began as a class action filed in March 2025, led by lead plaintiff Alishea Kingdom and civil-rights organizations such as the ACLU and the Transgender Law Center. In June 2025, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered the continuation of treatment and warned that untreated gender dysphoria could lead to depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. The government appealed, citing security concerns. The Justice Department also argued that gender-affirming therapies do not constitute basic medical care.
Joy among LGBTQ+ organizations, dismay at the White House
LGBTQ+ organizations welcomed the court’s decision: “Today, transgender individuals in federal prisons can continue to receive the care they need. Denying incarcerated people access to life-saving medical care simply because they are trans is discriminatory, cruel, and runs starkly counter to the protections of our Eighth Amendment,” said Kelley Robinson, chief executive of the nation’s largest LGBTQ rights organization, the Human Rights Campaign. The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits, among other things, cruel and unusual punishments (aside from the death penalty).
The White House reacted angrily. In a statement, Trump spokesperson Allison Schuster called the ruling a “defeat for common sense.” She stressed that the administration would continue to take steps to protect the public from what she described as “dangerous and life-changing medical practices.”
No final decision yet
With the denial of the emergency motion, the Supreme Court did not rule on the constitutionality of the government’s order in the main case, but only determined that the status quo must be preserved while the regular proceedings unfold. Recently the Court, with a 6-3 majority of Republican-appointed justices, has allowed several LGBTQ-hostile rulings from the Republicans, including a sports ban for transgender female athletes or the blanket ban on LGBTQ books in libraries. (dk)
