Last week, the Supreme Court heard the arguments in United States v. Skrmetti, a case that would determine whether a Tennessee law barring gender-affirming care for trans youth is constitutional. CNN and MSNBC featured trans voices in their coverage of the case, emphasizing the impact of gender-affirming care restrictions on trans youth and the potential consequences of the case for all Americans. The extent of cable coverage about the Tennessee case that featured trans guests may be a promising sign, as networks have previously failed to include trans voices in coverage of trans issues.
Molly Butler / Media Matters
Research/Study
CNN and MSNBC feature trans voices in coverage of historic Supreme Court case
United States v. Skrmetti considers Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth
Written by Alyssa Tirrell
Published
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Cable networks featured trans voices in coverage of United States v. Skrmetti
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- CNN correspondent Paula Reid interviewed plaintiffs of the case, including L. Williams and her parents. The segment highlighted the impact of gender-affirming care bans on trangender youth and their families. [Twitter/X, 12/3/24]
- CNN's Jake Tapper interviewed Chase Strangio, one of the ACLU attorneys arguing the case and the first openly transgender attorney to argue before the Supreme Court. Strangio explained the case, “As I see it, this is a law that bans medical treatment only when it is prescribed inconsistent with an individual's sex. Our argument is that that treats people differently because of their sex, and therefore the court has to treat it like all other forms of sex discrimination, and that's why it's unconstitutional.” [CNN, The Lead with Jake Tapper, 12/3/24]
- CNN repeatedly featured State Rep. Leigh Finke, Minnesota’s first statewide openly transgender elected official. Rep. Finke appeared on CNN Newsroom with Pamela Brown and CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta. Rep. Finke told CNN, “Health care decisions belong in the home, in the doctor’s office, not in the courts, not with politicians. We do not do this for other forms of health care. We are doing it because trans people are trans, and that should be illegal, and I hope the Court finds it so.” [GLAAD, 12/5/24]
- MSNBC repeatedly featured Jace Woodrum, the ACLU's first openly trans executive director. Woodrum appeared on Ana Cabrera Reports and All In With Chris Hayes. Woodrum told Hayes, “When politicians tell me that what they are trying to do is protect kids, I point them to our law in South Carolina, which has actually taken care away from adults. And so, really, when they say they are protecting kids, that is just a fallacy. In fact, this is about a government attempt to control transgender people and keep them from making decisions about their bodies, and their lives, and their futures.” [MSNBC, Ana Cabrera Reports, 12/4/24; All In With Chris Hayes, 12/4/24]
- MSNBC's José Díaz-Balart interviewed the Transgender Law Center's Shelby Chestnut. Chestnut told MSNBC, “I think we're in a moment where trans people are under increased, sort of, scrutiny and media attention. But I also think that we're seeing, day in and day out, trans communities continuing to fight for their rights but for the rights of everyone around them.” [MSNBC, José Díaz-Balart Reports, 12/4/24]
- CNN's Brianna Keilar interviewed Montana State Rep. Zooey Zephyr. Zephyr told CNN, “This decision or Tennessee's law, there is nothing they can craft in policy that would make trans people vanish. We have been here since the early 1900s and before, and we will continue to be here regardless of the policies that they push against us.” [Twitter/X, 12/4/24]
- MSNBC's Chris Jansing interviewed Advocates for Trans Equality's Ash Orr. Orr told MSNBC, “I think what's important to note here is that these attacks that we are seeing now on the trans community, it's a selfish tactic meant to divide us. It is doing a disservice to the American people. We are exhausted by petty and destructive politics and it's time to be moving forward and creating a new path.” [MSNBC, Chris Jansing Reports, 12/4/24]
- CNN's Wolf Blitzer interviewed Virginia State Sen. Danica Roem. Roem told CNN, “The consequences are severe and rather profound in that, number one, for a lot of these kids here, you're taking away their hope and their lifeline on this, right? And on the other hand with this, the other thing that you start to worry about is what does this mean for how equal rights are interpreted nationwide. And then finally, the larger question I have with this is for your viewers in Tennessee who are uninsured right now, I have to wonder how disappointed they are to be watching their state government spend their tax dollars, making sure other people don't get health help the health care that they need.” [CNN, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, 12/4/24]
- CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip held a panel featuring actress, activist, and GLAAD Board Member Peppermint and GLAAD Transgender Advocacy Consultant Shane Diamond. GLAAD reported that Peppermint and Diamond “corrected the record when panelist Coleman Hughes repeated opponent talking points about some countries in Europe moving to restrict the care. Hughes inaccurately claimed there is ‘no gold standard’ for the care, when health care for transgender people is supported by every major medical association and leading world health authority.” [GLAAD, 12/5/24]
- CNN's Lucy Kafanov interviewed three trans youth and their parents who traveled from Arizona to speak outside the Supreme Court. The children and their parents recounted the impact of anti-trans legislation and rhetoric on their families and their sense of safety. [Advocate, 12/6/24]
- MSNBC's Ayman Mohyeldin interviewed Translash Media's Imara Jones. Jones told MSNBC that the case “asks a simple and straightforward question: Whether or not trans people are covered by the Equal Protection Clause of the United States, just like a whole host of other Americans.” [MSNBC, Ayman, 12/8/24]
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Coverage featuring trans guests is a promising sign, as networks have previously failed to include trans voices
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- Media Matters has found in the past that networks frequently failed to include trans voices in coverage of trans issues. A study of cable coverage of anti-trans legislation in the first six months of 2024 found that trans voices were only included in 8% of segments dedicated to the topic. Similarly, Media Matters found that only one openly trans person appeared in network discussion of fatal anti-trans violence in 2023. [Media Matters, 8/1/24; 3/14/24]
- Networks also turned to trans experts amid the anti-trans rhetoric of the 2024 presidential campaign cycle. Media Matters reported that “Trans journalists, activists, and legislators made appearances across cable and broadcast networks in the last weeks of October.” [Media Matters, 11/4/24]