Is the Gender-Affirming Care in the Room With Us Now?

Hint: The answer is yes.

Credit: The Washington Post

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United Shades of America ruled in the case of the United States v. Skrmetti that the state of Tennessee is legally allowed to deny gender-affirming care to minors. Whatever your thoughts are on that, imagine that the Supreme Court ruled that Tennessee was allowed to deny birth control or even food to minors. It would clearly seem like our government was overreaching and going too far, and worse, being absolutely fucking cruel. Let it also sink in that gender-affirming care is seen as a good idea by EVERY LEADING MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT IN THE COUNTRY. But somehow we have let this become a needless and ill-informed culture war. We talk a lot about how divided the country is, but transphobia has weirdly become the one issue about which many Democrats and Republicans love to reach across the aisle. Even some of the celebrities who love to advocate for all sorts of marginalized groups will draw the line at the transgender community. As bestselling children’s author J. K. Rowling once said, “Transgender people? Ewwwww! Yucky.”

Or maybe it was Dave Chapelle.

Also yesterday, the leftover Ikea parts that were repurposed to form a demon known as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. used his power as the head of Health and Human Services to end the suicide hotline that specifically serves the LGBTQ+ community. It was a hotline that was run by The Trevor Project, a LGBTQ+ suicide-prevention nonprofit.

The day before the ruling The New York Times, a publication that loves to unite the right and left over transphobia, published a conversation that in some ways predicted yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling. Congresswoman Sarah McBride, the country’s first openly trans congress person, was interviewed by bestselling journalist and legendary middle-ist Ezra Klein. The conversation happened on Ezra Klein’s podcast, which is frustratingly not named Midway There with Ezra Klein. While Rep. McBride was reasoned, even tempered, and maybe even realistic in her expectations of America in this era, it was not the full-throated, inspirational sermon that many in the LGBTQ+ community would have wanted, even before yesterday’s ruling. To me, it sounded like she was tailoring her words for the non-believers and the haters. She was not preaching to the converted. From the comments under the YouTube video of the conversation she seems to have won some people over.

And while I understand the need and usefulness for that kind of approach —again, this was for The New York Times not The Washington Blade, Them, or The Advocate.— this reasoned approach doesn’t age well in the wake of yesterday’s news.

My Substack colleague, journalist Parker Malloy—who, like McBride, is a trans woman—made it plain in her piece about the interview.

"Rep. Sarah McBride's recent interview with Ezra Klein for The New York Times should be required listening for anyone who wants to understand how Democrats managed to lose the public on trans rights so spectacularly. Not because McBride offers any brilliant insights into what went wrong, but because she perfectly embodies the spineless approach to politics that got us here in the first place."

Politicians Are Supposed to Lead, Not Just Follow Polls

At one point in the interview, Ezra and Rep. McBride compared handling the issue of trans people wanting to play sports in 2025 to how some people wanted to handle marriage equality before it was legalized in 2015. Before the Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land in Obergefell v. Hodges, civil unions were being framed as the reasonable compromise to letting gay folks get fully married. To many it “seemed reasonable.” Ezra asked Rep. McBride if there was “civil union” version of trans kids playing sports.

Ezra: Is there an analogy to the civil unions debate for you now?

McBride: In the sports conversation, it’s local control. It’s allowing for individual athletic associations to make those individual determinations, and in some cases they’ll have policies that strike a right balance. In some cases, they’ll have policies that are too restrictive. And I think that is the equivalent to the civil union’s position in that debate.

This is confoundingly anti-historical. The problem with civil union as compromise for marriage equality is that it didn’t work at all. Civil unions are not federally recognized. That means the difference between civil unions and marriage is 1,138. That is 1,138 rights that marriages have that civil unions don’t. That is why the folks fighting for marriage equality didn’t settle for civil unions. We shouldn’t “settle” on trans rights or anybody else’s rights either.

Also in McBride’s sports example, she advocates for each municipality deciding who gets to play what sport. This is basically like if the United States had skipped the Civil War and went along with the Confederacy's idea of letting the states decide if they wanted slaves or not. No, thank you. Never a good idea to borrow the Confederacy’s talking point.

I totally understand where Parker is coming from. While I’m not totally read in on Rep. McBride’s positions, I understand the pain of feeling like a politician that that shares your identity doesn’t share you political ideology. I feel this way 75% of the time Cory Booker speaks. Black folks have a phrase for this. (Because we have a phrase for everything.) It is, “Your skinfolk ain’t always your kinfolk.”

Malcolm X had a particularly sharp take on identity politics not always working out. He lays it out in his famous speech where he talks about The House Negro vs. The Field Negro. I’ve heard it a million times, and it still makes me blanch. Whenever I listen to it I turn into every white lady from Sanford and Son. “Well, I never!”

If yesterday’s evil ruling proves anything, it proves that we can’t compromise our way to the promised land. We already live on compromised land as it is. I totally understand a politician politicking, but I also understand the people who identify most with that politician’s identity feeling left behind in that process. I just know that Ezra and Rep. McBride’s conversation would have been different if Chase Strangio had been in the room, too.

Chase is the openly trans lawyer who argued Skrmetti before the Supreme Court. That OF COURSE makes Chase the first openly trans person to argue a case before the Supreme Court. I have been lucky to get to know Chase through our connection to the ACLU. Chase would have been the perfect “But also…” in that interview. Chase has been living with the Skrmetti case since it began. He put it all into perspective yesterday after the ruling was announced.

“Today’s ruling is a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution. Though this is a painful setback, it does not mean that transgender people and our allies are left with no options to defend our freedom, our health care, or our lives. The Court left undisturbed Supreme Court and lower court precedent that other examples of discrimination against transgender people are unlawful. We are as determined as ever to fight for the dignity and equality of every transgender person and we will continue to do so with defiant strength, a restless resolve, and a lasting commitment to our families, our communities, and the freedom we all deserve.”

Chase Strangio in front of the Supreme Court. Credit: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images

Rounding up immigrants (or people who look like immigrants) is a line in the sand.

Forcing schools to teach Christian nationalism and white supremacy is a line in the sand.

The United States financially supporting a country that is committing genocide is a line in the sand.

A president celebrating his birthday by ordering the military to drive down American streets is a line in the sand.

Allowing politicians to pick and choose who gets gender-affirming care when we can literally look in their faces and see evidence of gender-affirming care on their faces is a line in the sand.

Meanwhile since the ruling, The New York Times has apparently released SIX anti-trans articles. Heavy, heavy sigh.

And as I said last week, it is on you, the person reading this right now, to save us. I even made you this fun video.

wkamaubell

A post shared by @wkamaubell

This weekend there will inevitably be more opportunities to make your voice heard, through a rally or a protest or checking on your neighbor. Don’t miss an opportunity. The fate of our country literally depends on it.

For a full breakdown of yesterday’s ruling, check out trans journalist Erin Reed’s Erin in the Morning.

SCOTUS Allows For Trans Discrimination In Medical Care: A Full Analysis Of Today's Ruling

To learn more about the Skrmetti case and the lawyer who argued it, check out my conversation with Chase Strangio on the ACLU’s podcast, At Liberty:

Yesterday was a rough day. To get support for yourself or someone you love, check out the helpful resources at the Trevor Project:

You’re With Me

Happy Juneteenth

Today support a business owned by a Black woman! You’ve seen me in these in-your-face political sweatshirts for yeeeeeears. Get one (or more) for yourself and support Joi, the Black woman who owns the business, Mahogany Mommies.
Use the code WKB to get 15% off.

Me with a couple of my fans.

Let’s have a nice time, okay?

June Office Hours: Celebrate Pride with Artist Wendy MacNaughton

Friday June 20th 12pm - 1pm PT / 3pm - 4pm ET

On Friday we’re having Office Hours with the artist Wendy MacNaughton and it’s going to be a much-needed NICE TIME. You might know her from her Draw Together Studio and here on Substack at the Draw Together Grown Ups Table.

Part Mr. Rogers, part Bob Ross, part jumpy-castle party—DrawTogether is an educational drawing universe that grows kids-of-all-ages’ creativity, curiosity and confidence through the joyful act of art-making. Since its launch, DrawTogether has attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers from around the world, all excited to draw with host and #1 NYT-Bestselling illustrator (plus social worker and professional goofball) Wendy MacNaughton— aka “WendyMac.”

I’ll be visiting Wendy’s studio where we’ll . . . draw together! In celebration of Pride month! Doesn’t that sound nice?! Come join us.

My paid subscribers can participate in the Office Hours live stream on your computer via the Substack website or on your phone via the Substack app. If you don’t already have the app, click here to download it:

You’ll get a notification from Substack once Wendy and I go live. When you open the Substack app, look in the upper left hand corner. You’ll see our faces and a little red LIVE rectangle. Click on our faces to join. Once you’re in, you can type questions and comments in the chat. See you then!

My “Who’s With Me?” stand-up tour back at The Berkeley Rep for a good cause

TONITE thru June 22

A couple weeks ago I found out that the Berkeley Rep, where I did my two residencies to get back into stand-up comedy, lost funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) at the direction of the Trump administration. I immediately emailed Johanna Pfaelzer, the Artistic Director of the Berkeley Rep, to see if there was anything I could do. A couple days later, Johanna called me and we put this run of shows together.

June 17th through the 22nd, I’m performing my show “Who’s With Me?” at the Berkeley Rep. Proceeds will go to help 13 Bay Area theater arts and dance organizations (including the Berkeley Rep) to make up for loss of funding that the Trump administration pulled.

Next my “Who’s With Me?” tour hits the Pacific Northwest & the Carolinas

Support a Beloved Oakland Teacher’s Professional Development

Ms. Awele is a dedicated theater teacher who, in addition to teaching and directing plays, also produces the Oakland Unified School District’s MLK Oratorical Festival. Maybe you saw the Emmy-winning HBO documentary about it, We Are The Dream? She’s been offered a coveted spot in the Prague Shakespeare Company Summer 2025 4-week Intensive, a transformational classical theatre training and mentorship program. This opportunity isn't just for Ms. Awele; it's an investment in the future of theatre education in Oakland.