On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) heard arguments for United States v. Skrmetti. This case, explained Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, “will decide whether states can protect children from experimental and irreversible gender transition procedures.” Although it has made its way to the highest court in America, the case at hand stems from a Tennessee law that currently protects kids from hormone therapy and puberty blockers.

From early morning to afternoon, people gathered outside SCOTUS to voice their opinions on which way the court should rule. Seemingly divided right down the middle, the leftist side of the crowd blasted pop music and danced as they chanted statements supporting child body mutilation. Some held signs that said, “Protect trans youth.” Others read, “Leave trans kids alone.” On the other hand, the conservative side of the crowd was where the majority of the people who want to protect kids from transgenderism gathered.

In lieu of music and dancing, the conservative medical and policy group Do No Harm hosted a rally where several prominent figures with powerful testimonies took the stand to share their thoughts and experiences. People on this side of the crowd held signs that said, “Stop selling lies,” “Let’s help, not harm,” and “Kids don’t need gender clinics.” Notable media personalities gave speeches, such as The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, who’s also well known for his documentary, “What is a Woman?” Several senators and representatives shared their concern over the danger of gender procedures — particularly on kids. So many encouraging, yet heartbreaking, stories were shared on this day.

Perhaps most striking were the speakers who themselves had experienced transgenderism firsthand. Chloe Cole, a well-known detransitioner, offered a passionate message on how no one is born in the “wrong body.” She moved the crowd as she shared how “gender-affirming care” caused her to cut off healthy body parts at a young age, inflicting irreversible damage. In comments to The Washington Stand, Chloe emphasized how the issue of transgenderism has only gotten as bad as it has because the people pushing it have managed to “sneak” it in. But now, she added, more and more people are waking up to just how deceptive the practice and the ideology behind it are.

Another detransitioner, Laura Becker, shared her story. She began by stating that she doesn’t always enjoy talking about the trauma she endured from a young age. Because for Laura, talking about it is almost like re-living it. She was nine years old when she first started doubting her identity and was thrown into a world of irreversible, experimental procedures. Separate from her main speech, Laura shared her perspective with TWS regarding the future of protecting kids from these harmful practices. “In some ways,” she said, “it’s too late for me. My body will always be permanently damaged. I don’t have breasts. … I permanently grow facial hair. My voice is permanently lower.”

All this has caused Laura to experience PTSD from everything she went through. “So, for me, what I care about is being the adult that [protects kids, because] I didn’t get that protection.” While it may be too late for Laura to reverse what so-called doctors did to her body, she insisted, “It’s not too late for me to help protect other kids, other teens, other young adults.” This is why Laura now works with “other survivors of all sorts of trauma, but especially other transitioners who haven’t been able to heal as much as I have yet. I work with them in their grief, which is just insurmountable.”

For people who deeply struggle to be comfortable in their own bodies, especially those who have already moved forward with gender procedures, Laura had this to say: “It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault that you were abused, [or that you] didn’t know you weren’t able to consent because you had no awareness of your body. You were young. You were in your own minds. So, it’s not your fault. And I know you’re in pain.” According to Laura, “Pain is part of the human condition. … [But] the human spirit is very resilient, and our bodies and brains [were made] for acceptance and love — genuine love, which is honesty.”

Outside of the shocking realities these detransitioners addressed is the fact that transgenderism doesn’t just hurt the person who wants to transition. Harrison Tinsley knows this well. For years, he fought for the custody of his son — who was 15 months old when Harrison was first able to meet him. He told TWS how the mother of his child kept their son away from him from birth “in spite of me wanting to be involved in his life enthusiastically,” he emphasized. However, the battle to be able to care for his son only intensified after Harrison found out the child was being treated as “non-binary” by his mother.

According to Harrison, the boy’s mom would put dresses and makeup on him, telling him he was a “princess.” Shortly after this information broke, a lengthy legal battle commenced. Not long after coming out publicly with his story, Harrison ended up receiving full custody of his son. It was a “miracle,” he exclaimed, and a “dream come true.” But for this dad, there was a lot to learn from his experiences, especially as it relates to protecting kids from transgenderism.

“Truth matters,” he stated. “Children are the most innocent, wonderful, [and] vulnerable among us and are worthy of protection. We have a duty to protect them and love them,” which is why we have to understand that “they cannot consent to life-altering surgeries and hormones. These decisions are altering them forever.” This “means the world [must] be part of the fight for saving the kids. Have courage. Fight for protecting kids. Speak the truth.”

These stories are but a fraction of the countless people who have been scarred by trans ideology. Something that stood out quite remarkably outside SCOTUS is the fact that several worldviews were at play. Those who did not seem concerned about the dangers of “gender-affirming care” spent the morning using music to drown out the voices of those who are concerned. At times, some stood directly in front of the brave people sharing their experiences only to shout, “We don’t care.”

On the other side of the spectrum were people who genuinely care about the well-being of confused people — confused and deceived children, in particular. Family Research Council’s Dr. Jennifer Bauwens, a licensed clinician who specializes in trauma, delivered powerful remarks about the “vulnerable and abused children” who are suffering in pain because some therapists in her profession “have set aside everything we know about child development, neurology, and trauma and have instead prioritized ideology over the tenets of good practice.” She continued:

“The fact is, ‘gender-affirming care’ is the most physiologically invasive practice within the entire mental health field. No other practice used to treat a mental health condition has proven to be this intrusive, since the lobotomy. Despite this reality, ‘gender-affirming care’ has been permitted across our country, even though it has been shown to be harmful. These procedures should've never been tried on a single child.

“Our children and families have been lied to. My profession has told children that all their problems will go away if they deny their biology and try to live as someone else.

“For those who have already been harmed, I pray for you to be healed from the destruction caused by these procedures. I pray for you to be healed from the lies that you were told by professionals in my field who made you believe that ‘gender-affirming care’ would make your pain stop. I also pray for those who genuinely believe that ‘gender-affirming care’ is good. We care about you enough to tell you the truth. We will continue to pray and fight for you, too, that you would receive true healing and be able to enjoy who God created you to be.”

And it wasn’t just Republicans and Christians, but also Democrats who believe enough is enough. Matt Sharp, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, hit the nail on the head when he said: “We’re just here advocating for kids.” He explained to TWS that “Tennessee and the 25 other states that have passed these laws … [are] putting kids’ best interests first. They’re prioritizing good health care and good medicine and good science over this ideology.”

Sharp continued, “I think this issue really has divided people across the aisle.” People from various worldviews are waking up and recognizing that kids need to be able to go through puberty and work through mental roadblocks, not be given drugs and surgeries. “We’ve got a duty to our kids first,” Sharp concluded, “above ideology, above anything else.”

But on the other side of the spectrum were people who genuinely care about the well-being of confused people — confused and deceived children, in particular. And it was not just Republicans and Christians, but also Democrats who believe enough is enough. Matt Sharp, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, hit the nail on the head when he said: “We’re just here advocating for kids.” He explained to TWS that “Tennessee and the 25 other states that have passed these laws … [are] putting kids’ best interests first. They’re prioritizing good health care and good medicine and good science over this ideology.”

Sharp continued, “I think this issue really has divided people across the aisle.” People from various worldviews are waking up and recognizing that kids need to be able to go through puberty and work through mental roadblocks, not be given drugs and surgeries. “We’ve got a duty to our kids first,” Sharp concluded, “above ideology, above anything else.”