Dr Paul McHugh is one of America’s leading psychiatrists. The article below is his testimony to the US Supreme Court in the case of R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
An employee of the funeral home, Aimee Stephens, decided to transition from a man to a woman in 2013. His employer sacked him. Stephens sued. The case rose steadily through the courts. Although Stephens died of kidney disease last month at the age of 59, his estate is carrying on the lawsuit.
This is a very significant case. At stake is whether bans on sex discrimination in the United States also include discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Dr McHugh’s expertise is helpful in questioning a so-called scientific imperative for gender affirmation. (Footnotes and references have been removed and the text has been slightly abridged.)
