Posted on Friday, December 6, 2024

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by Shane Harris

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While the Supreme Court heard arguments in the landmark case United States v. Skrmetti on Wednesday, opponents of child gender surgeries gathered outside the court for a “Do No Harm” rally. AMAC CEO Rebecca Weber joined a number of other high-profile speakers, including Daily Wire host Matt Walsh and parental rights activist January Littlejohn, in delivering an impassioned speech that received millions of views on social media.

“For so many parents and grandparents across this country, the issue of gender transitions is deeply personal,” Weber told onlookers and news cameras, even as pro-child gender surgery activists attempted to drown her out. “Some of our members have watched their own grandchildren be subjected to harmful medical procedures. They have seen the pain that it causes young teenagers. They have witnessed how doctors and schools have manipulated parents.”

“They will tell you firsthand that gender transition practices don’t make kids happier or more whole,” Weber continued. “Far too often, they cause heartbreak and regret. As a mother and grandmother, I know that every parent and grandparent shares my belief that there’s nothing more important than protecting our kids.”

As AMAC Newsline has previously reported, U.S. v. Skrmetti centers on a 2023 Tennessee law banning hormone therapies and gender surgeries for minors who believe they are transgender. The federal government is arguing that Tennessee’s law violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause – which was passed in 1868 to guarantee freed slaves equal protection under the law.

If oral arguments in the case are any indication, the 6-3 conservative majority on the Court appears poised to uphold Tennessee’s law and affirm the right of states to ban gender procedures and hormone therapies for minors. The decision will have sweeping implications for 25 other states that have similar laws and establish the precedent that courts cannot block state legislatures from taking action to protect children from dangerous and medically unnecessary drugs and procedures.

In her remarks, Weber commended the Tennessee legislature and Governor Bill Lee for passing the law in question, expressing gratitude on behalf of 50,000 AMAC Members in the Volunteer State.

“No child should go to school and be taught that they were born in the wrong body,” Weber said. “No educator should socially transition students behind their parents’ back, and no parent should be told by doctors that their child won’t be happy unless they undergo irreversible surgeries.”

“No child’s gender is a mistake, because every child is made in the image and likeness of God. Medical decisions should be based on science, not ideology. And the science does not back gender transitions for kids.”

Weber ended her remarks with a message of hope and optimism for the country and for children and families who have fallen victim to the radical left’s gender ideology lies.

“While the media and far left-leaning groups will try to paint our position as extreme, I have faith in the American people,” she proclaimed. “As the recent election proved, the American people have common sense. We are not easily deceived. We don’t fall for slick slogans or false promises. We seek the truth. We fearlessly defend our families. And above all, we place our trust in Almighty God.”

Parental rights activist January Littlejohn, who has previously spoken at AMAC events and whose story AMAC has covered extensively, also delivered remarks during the Do No Harm rally.

As Littlejohn detailed, her 13-year-old daughter was “socially transitioned” in middle school in 2020 without Littlejohn’s knowledge or consent. “I stand here not just for my family, but for the countless families whose children are falling prey to the lies of gender identity ideology,” Littlejohn said. “Not one of these children have the ability to give informed consent.”

While only a few dozen people were gathered for the in-person event, the conservative activist known online as “Billboard Chris” shared a live stream of remarks from Weber and others on X. Elon Musk subsequently re-shared that stream, which has garnered some 5.4 million views. At the time Weber took the stage on Wednesday, more than 1.1 million people were watching live.

Musk himself has his own heartbreaking first-hand experience with gender ideology. As he shared in an interview with psychologist and cultural commentator Jordan Peterson earlier this year, one of his sons underwent gender reassignment surgery during the pandemic.

“I was tricked into doing this,” Musk said, explaining how, like so many other parents, he was told that his son would surely commit suicide unless he signed off on the procedures. “I lost my son, essentially. They call it ‘deadnaming’ for a reason. The reason they call it ‘deadnaming’ is because your son is dead.”

“I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that,” Musk told Peterson. “And we’re making some progress.”

The Supreme Court’s decision U.S. v. Skrmetti looks set to be another inspiring sign of progress in that battle. As Weber made clear on Wednesday, AMAC will continue to be a part of the fight and act as an ally of children and families, biological reality, and basic common sense.

Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.