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The Supreme Court Fails to See Transgender Teens
The Supreme Court Fails to See Transgender Teens

New York Times

time2 days ago

  • Politics
  • New York Times

The Supreme Court Fails to See Transgender Teens

Imagine you are a transgender teenager. Don't ask me how you know that you are transgender: That question is no more appropriate or relevant than asking people how they know that they are gay or Jewish or Black. Maybe you've always known. Maybe a classmate or a stranger said something that alerted you to it. Maybe you know the way teenagers often know things: As the world came into focus, this thing about yourself became clear as could be. In any case, you know. Like many teenagers, you spend an inordinate amount of time in front of the mirror. You regularly become obsessed with what you perceive as imperfections or, less often, advantages in your appearance. You adopt and abandon hairstyles, items of clothing and affectations. You will shed much of what you are experimenting with now, but some elements will stick. They will form the core of the person you are in the world. Speaking of the world: Moving through it is awkward, because you are a teenager. Being trans can make it more awkward still. Like when you are in a public place — including your school — and you need to use the bathroom. If you want to consider transitioning medically, you have to discuss the most intimate details of your life with doctors and involve your parents. I am asking you to imagine what it's like to be a transgender teenager because that is exactly what the majority of the Supreme Court justices refused to do when they ruled in United States v. Skrmetti on Wednesday, upholding a Tennessee law that bans gender-affirming care for minors. The plaintiffs in the case are three trans teenagers from Tennessee, their parents and a doctor, but there is scarcely a reference to them in the majority or concurring opinions. It's often the case that 'courts enact discrimination through abstraction,' Chase Strangio, a director of the American Civil Liberties Union's L.G.B.T.Q. and H.I.V. Rights Project, who argued the case before the Supreme Court, told me. In Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 case that upheld the legality of racial segregation; in Korematsu v. United States, which in 1944 affirmed the internment of Japanese Americans; in Bowers v. Hardwick, the 1986 case that upheld Georgia's sodomy laws; and in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which three years ago took away the constitutional guarantee of abortion rights, the Supreme Court seemed blind to the existence of the people who would suffer most from the consequences of its decisions. In Skrmetti, the plaintiffs and the Biden administration said that the Tennessee law should be held to a higher level of scrutiny because it violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. If a state law creates conditions for treating people differently on the basis of sex, the state must prove that the law serves an important purpose that justifies such discrimination. If the differential treatment is based on race, the level of scrutiny is even higher. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

'Loyalist paramilitary transitioning has failed' ex-watchdog says
'Loyalist paramilitary transitioning has failed' ex-watchdog says

BBC News

time4 days ago

  • Politics
  • BBC News

'Loyalist paramilitary transitioning has failed' ex-watchdog says

The process aimed at disbanding loyalist paramilitary groups has failed, a former security watchdog has told BBC Northern Ireland's Spotlight Alderdice, the former Alliance Party leader who was a member of the Independent Monitoring Commission, said talks about loyalist transition should was responding to the arrest and conviction on firearms charges of Winston Irvine, who worked as an interlocutor with the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC), which represents mainstream loyalist groups.A senior LCC source told Spotlight that loyalist transition is on course to be concluded this autumn, with an announcement of the complete dismantling of all paramilitary structures. Irvine, of Ballysillan Road in north Belfast, was a well-known community worker before being given a two and a half year sentence over guns and ammunition found in the boot of his car in Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is appealing the sentence for being "unduly lenient".Irvine's conviction has returned attention to loyalist funding and paramilitary up in 2015, the LCC says it represents a loyalist leadership committed to transition, the scaling back of criminality and ultimately disbandment.A source in the organisation told Spotlight that Winston Irvine has been instrumental in moving the mainstream Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) away from criminality, and that a final push for loyalist transition is imminent. Lord Alderdice spent seven years on the Independent Monitoring Commission, which was given access to secret intelligence to report on paramilitary activities, before it was wound up in said the transition process is "not working". "A halt should be called, and you can't call a halt now sooner than today."There comes a point when you have to say no, this hasn't been delivered."It's not going to be delivered. And, actually, by continuing we are making it worse."Lord Alderdice told the programme he does not believe the loyalist paramilitaries are making a genuine effort to transition away from criminality."What I've seen is more talking about transition, and transformation, and no doubt with an invoice provided, for how much money is needed to be made available from public services in order to pay off these people." Cathy McIlvenny's sister, Lorraine, was murdered by UDA members in previously told Spotlight, in 2013, that she dealt with Winston Irvine when he arranged a punishment shooting of her nephew, Craig, in believes the sentence given to Irvine is not enough, and says loyalist paramilitaries will continue as long as funding is still available."They're just being given money to keep them quiet and make it look to the rest of the world now that the British government has solved the Northern Ireland problem."But, it hasn't. It's made it worse for the communities."In 2013 it was alleged to Spotlight that Winston Irvine was a UVF leader, something which he has denied as "preposterous". No explanation was given in court as to why Irvine and his co-accused had the the arrest, police discovered UVF paraphernalia in Irvine's home, and that of his co-accused Robin in sentencing, Judge Gordon Kerr KC concluded the movement of weapons had not been directly connected to terrorism.54-year-old, Workman, of Shore Road in Larne, was sentenced to five years - the minimum custodial sentence, which the PPS said it would not be guns were found by covert police six weeks after a hoax bomb, which targeted a peace event in Belfast attended by then Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney in March said UVF involvement in the hoax attack was a primary line of inquiry. Prior to his arrest and conviction, Winston Irvine spent more than a decade as a paid community role gave him access to high-level contacts and enhanced his credibility as a peace 49-year-old, who received a number of supportive character references during the case, provided a pre-prepared statement in which he claimed to be a "trusted interlocutor" in community relations and the peace his arrest sent shock waves through the British and Irish governments because of how they often rely on community workers to engage with loyalist his arrest, Irvine was suspended from his role at the north Belfast community group Intercomm Ireland, in line with its internal disciplinary left the organisation several months said it was "difficult to convey the impact" the case had on its team who were "shocked, disappointed and felt let down" by Winston Irvine's actions.A statement added that "significant reorganisation (was) required to continue to deliver on our commitments to projects and fulfil obligations to funders and to the community".But Irvine continued to work on funded projects in unionist and loyalist areas while on bail for the weapons charges.

NEWS OF THE WEEK: Jenna Ortega found comfort in talking to former child stars
NEWS OF THE WEEK: Jenna Ortega found comfort in talking to former child stars

News.com.au

time14-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • News.com.au

NEWS OF THE WEEK: Jenna Ortega found comfort in talking to former child stars

The Wednesday star began her acting career at just six years old, landing her first leading role at age 10 in the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle. In a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar, Ortega opened up about connecting with other women who grew up in the spotlight and how they helped her navigate the transition from child stardom to adult fame. In recent years, the 22-year-old has formed close bonds with fellow former child stars Winona Ryder, Natalie Portman, and Natasha Lyonne.

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