Illinoisans react as SCOTUS hears Tennessee gender-affirming care for transgender kids case

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois residents are reacting, as the U.S. Supreme Court heard a landmark case Wednesday.

The country's high court is taking up the question of whether states can ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.

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The case comes from Tennessee, which is among 26 states that have moved to restrict the ability to give puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy to minors, who seek to identify with, or live as, a gender that is different from their sex assigned at birth.

Oral arguments lasted longer than two and a half hours Wednesday, more than double the allotted time.

It's just one indication of the high-profile, emotionally fraught nature of the public debate surrounding healthcare for transgender minors.

Local LGBTQ-plus groups say, with the Supreme Court case, their rights are on the line.

"Thank God to the state laws here in Illinois, I'm able to live authentically in my body, sound and mine," said Zahara Bassett, founder and CEO of Life is Work.

Bassett describes herself as a Black woman of trans experience.

Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, she came out in eighth grade, and began taking hormones when she was 17.

Bassett said if gender-affirming care wasn't made available to her, she wouldn't be here today.

"I wouldn't be able to live in the way I am. I will be out here homeless, probably on the street somewhere, hooked on drugs or many other things, because of society not allowing me to be authentically me," Bassett said.

The case in front of the Supreme Court was brought by a family in Nashville whose now-16-year-old daughter came out as transgender when she was in seventh grade. She goes by "LW," and spoke to ABC News, but asked not to show her face.

"It's not very comfortable being trapped in, you know, cause it doesn't really feel like you," LW said.

LW and her parents ultimately decided to start using medication to delay puberty and later hormone therapy to combat gender dysphoria. But, last year, Tennessee lawmakers banned the treatments, in part, citing uncertain long-term harm.

Former President of the Chicago-based American Medical Association Dr. Jack Resneck previously said in part, "Our AMA strongly opposes these types of discriminatory actions as dangerous government intrusions into the practice of medicine."

Professor Harold Krent at Chicago-Kent College of Law said this case mirrors other human and civil rights cases in recent decades.

"The argument would be, historically, we've seen so much damage done for discrimination and stereotypes based upon race in particular, but, also in sex, that we want to have a check on the legislature from making those kinds of judgments," Krent said.

And, on that point, Chief Justice John Roberts questioned Wednesday, whether the high court was best-situated to address evolving medical issues, or if they should be decided by the states.

A ruling is not immediately expected; it may take several months.