Hey all!Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Now that the holiday season is in full swing, so is the Supreme Court. Yesterday, for the first time ever, the SCOTUS justices heard arguments about whether a state has the authority to ban gender-affirming care for trans kids and whether a ban like this constitutes sex discrimination. After more than two hours of oral arguments, the SCOTUS appeared likely to back the ban, which would be a huge blow for transgender rights in the U.S. ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio, the first openly trans lawyer to argue in front of the Supreme Court, represented the kids and their parents. Strangiowho I was honored to speak alongside on MSNBC a few months agoargued that a ban on gender-affirming medical treatments like the use of prepubertal blockers and hormones have been permitted for a very long time to treat minors suffering from other conditions like endometriosis or early-onset puberty. Many far-right lawmakers and politicians have falsely equated gender-affirming healthcare with kids receiving bottom surgery (which very rarely happens for children in the U.S.). One of the most outlandish claims was when President-elect Trump claimed kids are going to school and coming home with sex changes. I understand that the issue of gender-affirming care for kids isin some respectscomplex and nuanced and I dont claim to be an expert. What I do think about when reflecting on this debate are the trans kids Ive met through my reporting. I think about Dylan Brandt, the 15-year-old trans boy in Arkansas who I played ping-pong with in his basement before we interviewed him for a 60 Minutes+ segment about why he was suing his states attorney general for trying to ban his access to testosterone. Then theres Andrew Bostad, another Arkansas trans teen who was navigating his first relationship when we met in 2021. There was Matthew, a trans boy in Florida I met during a Nickelodeon segment who was elated because he had just started to receive puberty blockers and told me they significantly reduced his struggle with suicidal ideation. Theres Luna, a young trans woman who I met eight years ago in California when I was filming a French documentary (shes now working at Disney, andaccording to her Dadfootloose and fancy free). And Joe Maldonado, whom I filmed making history when I documented him becoming the first openly trans kid to attend a Boy Scout meeting.Every single trans kid Ive spent time with has been confident and undoubtedly sure about their gender identity. And years later, none of them have changed their minds. They have wanted gender-affirming healthcare more than anything and have all told me on and off camera that the medications, alongside the talk therapy, have dramatically improved their mental health, self-esteem and self worth. Theres no doubt that this is a serious and complex debate and is something we should handle with care. But as the SCOTUS deliberates this decision, I really, really, hope the justices will listen to what the trans kids have to say.Subscribe nowLGBTQ Americans and the 2024 election: "I don't feel welcome here." (CBS NEWS)With increasing concerns over potential rollbacks of protections and rights for marginalized communities, advocates emphasize the urgent need to address the implications of Trump's alignment with right-wing groups and their agenda as the political landscape shifts.Takeaways from the historic transgender care arguments at the Supreme Court (CNN)Trans teen pleads with SCOTUS to strike down Tennessees gender-affirming care ban ahead of landmark hearing (Advocate)In the landmark Supreme Court case U.S. v. Skrmetti, 16-year-old transgender girl L.W. from Tennessee challenges a state law banning gender-affirming medical care for minors, arguing it discriminates based on sex and infringes on parental rights. A dozen Moscow clubgoers found guilty after anti-LGBTQ 'propaganda' raids (NBC)The club patrons were found guilty of petty hooliganism and put under administrative arrest as punishment.First transgender attorney to argue before the Supreme Court, challenging health care ban for minors (AP News)We set a Giving Tuesday goal of $2,000 and are still a few hundred bucks away from reaching it. If you have the means and are interested in supporting our work, you can here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/unclosettedmediaIm honored to speak tonight as GRACEs special guest about Uncloseteds recent coverage as well as this weeks SCOTUS arguments. I will speak with Alaina Kupec, GRACEs founder, who created the nonprofit in an effort to change the hearts and minds of Americas movable middle when it comes to trans issues.We passed 3,000 subscribers yesterday! We are growing quickly and are so grateful for your support! Share Uncloseted with your friends so we can keep up this momentum.We partnered with The Stonewall Inn on World AIDS Day. Weve also been rolling out posts on our Instagram that highlight some of the voices we interviewed for our stories about how Black and Brown people in the South struggle to access HIV-prevention medication like PrEP.Photo: Parker Boyce-MichelsThis weekend, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting: Transgender men have the highest rates of eating disorders than any other community, and yet their struggles are under-researched and underreported. Sam Donndelinger follows Daniel-Jos Cyan in his journey with eating disorder recovery and gender-affirming care. In an essay by my Mom (yes! my actual Mom!), she writes about the importance of parental acceptance of LGBTQ kids during the holiday season. Thanks for reading! And feel free to email me with questions, complaints, tips or story ideas! Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chiefspencer@unclosetedmedia.comIf objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted MediaUncloseted Media is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.