June Letter From the Board

As We Await the Supreme Court’s Decision in Skrmetti 

Pride Month is here. A time when we celebrate who we are, honor those who came before us, and envision a future of joy and freedom. We deserve to feel that joy. We deserve to be free. And yet, many of us are holding fear alongside that celebration—fear of what may come, fear of what may be taken from us. How do we make space for joy and freedom even as we anticipate the possibility of losing legal protections?

With the Supreme Court’s decision in Skrmetti v. United States expected later this month, many of us—especially as trans people and trans lawyers—are bracing for what may be a deeply painful moment. It is true that we have weathered immense challenges, both personally and collectively. And still, now is the time to begin preparing ourselves emotionally for what might come.

Think about what it could feel like if the ruling is not what we hope for. Think about the weight of that news arriving in the midst of Pride Month, as the most contentious decisions tend to fall at the very end of the month. Consider the full range of emotions you might experience—grief, anger, numbness, disappointment, exhaustion, or even a complicated sense of relief that the waiting is over.

Whatever you feel, it is valid. There is no right way to respond to a moment like this. Give yourself the grace to feel it all. And start now: put supports and tools in place—reach out to friends, plan for time offline, schedule therapy, revisit practices that ground you. You can prepare and still remain hopeful. We are endlessly creative and capable of holding multiple realities at once. 

NTBA will be hosting a debriefing following the decision, and many local and national organizations will likely share calls to action, including rallies and other community responses. However you show up—in grief, in resistance, in quiet reflection—you are not alone.


Pelecanos
Pronouns: they/them/theirs What’s This
NTBA Board of Directors