B’tzelem Elohim Means All of Us

Supreme Court Upholds State Ban on Transgender Care for Minors

Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth is a moral failure. It goes against one of the most sacred principles in Judaism — that every human being is created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. This teaching reminds us that every person, regardless of gender identity, has inherent dignity, worth, and the right to thrive.

Over and over, the Torah reminds us to protect the vulnerable, not to oppress them, to stand with the stranger, the marginalized, and those whose dignity is under attack. For trans youth, gender-affirming care can be the difference between despair and survival. Denying them that care causes real harm.

The prophet Isaiah tells us: “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression…” (Isaiah 1:17). If we take our tradition seriously, how can we possibly justify abandoning trans youth to cruelty dressed up as policy?

This ruling opens the door for more legalized discrimination. And history has taught us that once rights begin to erode for one group, others soon follow.

Our tradition also holds deep respect for medical professionals. The Talmud (Berakhot 60a) says that physicians are partners with God in the work of healing. But this ruling pushes aside that sacred relationship. It says that politicians — not doctors, not families — should decide what care is appropriate. That’s not how healing works. That’s not how justice works.

Justice Sotomayor called it plainly: the court has abandoned transgender children and their families to political whims. And we’ve seen this playbook before — arguments like these have been used to justify bans on interracial marriage, segregation, and systemic racism.

What makes this ruling even more painful is its timing. It comes in the middle of Pride Month — a time meant to uplift LGBTQ+ people — and just one day before Juneteenth, when we remember the long-delayed promise of freedom for Black Americans. Have we learned nothing from our past?

When a society debates whether certain people should have the right to exist, it’s lost its moral compass. We must speak up and protect those who are vulnerable, especially when it’s difficult. Especially when it’s unpopular.

To our transgender youth and their families: you are sacred. You are loved. You are not alone.