Supreme Court Blocks Trump From Denying Transgender Inmates Medical Care
Category: Politics / US News | Date: October 21, 2026 Sources: NPR | CNN | Wall Street Journal The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the Trump administration must continue providing gender-affirming care to transgender inmates in federal prisons — a rare loss for the administration on the court's emergency docket. In a 7-2 decision issued as a one-sentence procedural order with no explanation, the court denied the administration's request to lift a lower court's injunction. Only Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. Background of the Case The dispute centers on a Bureau of Prisons policy that would terminate hormone therapy and other gender-affirming treatments for transgender inmates. Under the policy, federal prisons would treat gender dysphoria with psychological therapy only — no hormone therapy, no clothing accommodations, and no surgeries. A federal district judge, Royce Lamberth, blocked the policy this summer. The U.S. Court of Appeals for th...