U.S. Supreme Court Decisions Threaten the Safety and Well-Being of LGBTQ+ Community

Washington – In the waning days of the U. S. Supreme Court’s term, the extremist conservative majority issued two decisions that threaten the safety and well-being of our LGBTQ+ community. Yesterday, in Mahmoud v. Taylor, the Court imposed burdensome new requirements on educators and public schools that will undermine their ability to provide students with an inclusive education that reflects the real-life diversity of students in our nation’s public schools and communities. And earlier this month, the same six justices in U.S. v. Skrmetti failed to protect families' freedoms and upheld a ban on their access to gender-affirming care.

The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle:

“We all deserve the right to live, learn, and thrive no matter our sexual orientation or gender identity—no exceptions. In this most recent session, six justices on the U.S. Supreme Court took unprecedented steps to deny basic rights to LGBTQ+ people as well as the basic rights, freedoms, and respect that we all deserve.

“In not one, but two decisions, the Court issued rulings that threaten the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth and undermine the progress we have made toward creating more inclusive and welcoming learning environments where all our students can thrive. LGBTQ+ people are our students and our educators; they are valued members of every community. These decisions will have a chilling effect on students and public education for generations to come.

“The Mahmoud v. Taylor decision is an attack on inclusivity and on our democracy. Public education is founded on the core principle of engaging students on a broad range of ideas, allowing them to explore new perspectives and learn to think for themselves. Students deserve nothing less than to feel supported and valued on that journey, in particular our LGBTQ+ young people and families, who often feel unseen and unheard.

“Contrary to the Court’s decision, educators and parents overwhelmingly support students’ freedom to be who they are; teach curriculum that embraces our diversity that allows for educators to teach the true and complete history of this country; and our students right to learn. As educators, we remain committed to ensuring that every student, every family, and every educator knows they are seen and valued, and are an essential part of our school communities.

“The transgender community has faced an onslaught of political attacks, some of the cruelest of which are health care bans that wreak havoc on the lives of families and endanger the well-being of transgender adolescents, like the law at issue in U.S. v Skrmetti. All families and their medical providers deserve the right to make medical decisions free from political interference, including care for transgender youth that every major medical, pediatric, and psychological association in the U.S. has endorsed as essential treatment for those who need it. The Supreme Court’s failure to protect this essential right is devastating for families, but they are not alone in this fight. All our students want dignity and respect for who they are, and they deserve support and safety.

“As a teacher for over 30 years, I know that educators have a moral and professional responsibility to create safe and inclusive environments that recognize, validate, and support the identities of LGBTQ + families—despite efforts by extremists to take away their freedoms and exclude them from accessing health care and from being seen and included in school. We will not turn our back on them, ever.”

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.