#Chase Strango

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Christopher Wiggins at The Advocate:

It is not every day that transgender voices shape the national media narrative on transgender issues. Yet this week, CNN broke new ground with its coverage of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case challenging Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Instead of allowing outsiders to define the conversation, the network welcomed transgender leaders onto its airwaves, creating a space for those most affected to weigh in and making it impossible to ignore the reality behind these critical debates and earning praise from GLAAD.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments that Tennessee’s law, which singles out trans youth by forbidding them access to care readily available to their cisgender peers, is not just discriminatory—it is unconstitutional. Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney and the first out transgender lawyer to argue before the high court, pressed the justices to acknowledge that this so-called “protection” for children is, in fact, a thinly veiled assault on their autonomy and wellbeing. Ahead of the Wednesday argument, Strangio appeared on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper to preview the case. As the justices deliberated in the nation’s most powerful courtroom, CNN turned its spotlight to voices that have too often been left out of mainstream discussions. On Wednesday morning, Minnesota State Rep. Leigh Finke, who is transgender, offered commentary from Washington, D.C. Finke’s legislative achievements, including safeguarding access to gender-affirming care in her home state, highlighted that these issues are not theoretical—they concern real people, real families, and real futures.

Later that night, NewsNight with Abby Phillip brought on Peppermint, a transgender actress and GLAAD board member, and Shane Diamond, a GLAAD consultant and impact campaign producer. During the discussion, host Abby Phillip pointed out how rare it is to have transgender voices at the table. “The conversation that we are having here is actually not a conversation that happens very often,” she said, acknowledging the long-standing discomfort, fear, and misinformation surrounding trans issues. Peppermint swiftly highlighted the disconnect: “Major decisions that impact our bodies, our lives, our families, our health are being made without us being considered at all.” Diamond debunked the notion that there is a sudden “influx” of trans youth, emphasizing that increased visibility and more accessible language simply allow young people to recognize and articulate who they are. “We have more language to describe who we are and how we feel,” Diamond said. “Young people and older people are finally seeing themselves represented.”

A good move by CNN to feature trans contributors to discuss the impact of the Skrmetti case on trans Americans.