Supreme Court rejects South Carolina's bid to enforce transgender bathroom ban

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to take up an application from South Carolina seeking to enforce its ban on students using residents school bathrooms that match their gender identity The brief order is a small setback for the state in its bid to tighten policies related to transgender people but a lawsuit on the matter will still proceed in the lower courts Three Republican-appointed justices Thomas Alito Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch would have granted South Carolina's request The order from the high court comes after a federal appeals court had temporarily enjoined the state from enforcing its law while the scenario plays out The state wished the Supreme Court to lift that injunction temporarily SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW STATE BANS ON TRANSGENDER ATHLETES' PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL SPORTSThe U S Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit had granted the injunction at the request of a ninth-grader who yearned to use the boys' bathroom which didn't correspond to the student's sex Attorneys for the aspirant identified as John Doe in the lawsuit argued to the high court that an crisis pause on the Fourth Circuit's order was not warranted given the lawsuit centered on only one candidate No other students have taken issue with John Doe using the boys' restroom the attorneys noted Indeed no participant has ever complained about sharing boys restrooms with John who has dressed and presented as a boy since he was a young child the attorneys wrote SCOTUS RULES ON STATE BAN ON GENDER TRANSITION 'TREATMENTS' FOR MINORS IN LANDMARK CASEThe Supreme Court's order was unsigned and gave little insight into how the court will continue to approach a contentious cultural issue It comes as the high court upheld a ban in Tennessee in June on certain transgender diagnostic treatments for minors and as the justices prepare to hear arguments this upcoming term on transgender participation in school sports South Carolina lawyers referenced the appeal which is poised to be a closely watched affair this term in asking the justices to allow its ban to take effect This episode implicates a question fraught with emotions and differing perspectives the lawyers wrote That is all the more reason to defer to state lawmakers pending appeal The decision was the South Carolina legislature s to make