The Washington County Democratic Party (WCDP) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Tennessee’s cruel ban on gender-affirming medical care for trans youth to stand. This decision will cause real harm. It will result in suffering. And it will cost lives.
WCDP believes that every young person deserves safety, dignity, and access to medically necessary care. This law strips trans kids of that basic humanity and undermines parental rights and responsibilities to determine, in consultation with medical professionals, appropriate care for their children. It inserts government into private medical decisions. It criminalizes compassion. And the Supreme Court’s inaction delivers the devastating message that the constitutional rights of trans Americans are negotiable.
“This is a moral emergency. Government overreach is endangering the lives of young people in our community simply because they are trans,” said Sylvain Bruni, Chair of the Washington County Democratic Party. “But we will not give in to fear. We will not allow hate to define Tennessee’s future. We call on every Tennessean to speak up, show up, and demand a future where all kids, no matter who they are, can thrive.”
This decision is not occurring in isolation. It is part of a broader, calculated campaign by the current presidential administration and state-level governments across the country to erase LGBTQ+ people from public life. Book bans, pride flag restrictions, attacks on trans athletes and trans soldiers, and threats against drag performers all come from the same hateful playbook. Together, these actions aim to dehumanize and divide.
We are especially appalled to see Representative Harshbarger using her platform to celebrate this cruelty while ignoring the real issues facing the people of Tennessee’s First District. She has been silent on the housing crisis, the growing number of families struggling with food insecurity, and the looming threats of federal cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Her decision to champion scapegoating policies against trans youth instead of addressing the suffering of her constituents is not just a failure of leadership; it is political cowardice and moral negligence.
To do this during Pride Month, when we honor the courage and resilience of LGBTQ+ people, is particularly heinous. Pride is not just a celebration. It is a reminder that our rights have always been hard-won, and that we must continue to fight.
WCDP invites every person in Washington County and across Tennessee to speak out and stand up in support of our kids. Let your neighbors know you will not stand by while trans youth are targeted. Join us on Saturday, June 28, at the Rainbow Festival in Johnson City to show your support for the LGBTQ+ community and to reaffirm our shared values of equity, justice, and love. As Democrats, we will continue to organize, to vote, and to protect every member of our community, especially those who are most vulnerable.
