The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld Tennessee’s ban on puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors in a 6-3 decision along party lines that stands to impact similar laws passed in roughly half the country.

Rejecting a challenge mounted by the Biden administration, the high court ruled Tennessee’s law does not amount to sex discrimination that requires a higher level of constitutional scrutiny, removing a key line of attack that LGBTQ rights advocates have used to try to topple similar laws.

“Having concluded it does not, we leave questions regarding its policy to the people, their elected representatives, and the democratic process,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote for the court's six Republican-appointed justices.

The court’s three Democratic-appointed justices dissented, saying they would’ve held the law to heightened scrutiny.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the more exacting standard raises questions about whether Tennessee’s law would survive. She read her dissent aloud from the bench, which the justices reserve for emphasizing their strong disagreements with a case.

“By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the Court abandons transgender children and their families to........

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