Prom
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center established a transgender care clinic, which was met with opposition from conservatives who later demanded an investigation into the matter.
Written by Emily Cochrane
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center introduced a new clinic specifically for transgender individuals. However, the announcement was not widely publicized as it only included basic information such as the clinic’s location, operating hours, and the names of two senior staff members in a brief four-paragraph news release.
Four years later, Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator from The Daily Wire in Nashville, brought attention to the clinic by posting videos and articles. In his posts, he claimed that a staff member at the clinic had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-driven practices, using harsh language to criticize the center’s treatments.
The medical center, not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, disagreed with the criticism. In a statement, the center explained that their clinic’s focus is on providing healthcare to a vulnerable population at risk for mental and physical health problems, who have historically not received adequate care from the U.S. healthcare system.
The hospital stated that they do not treat children under 18 without parental consent and that they respect employees’ personal or religious beliefs by not requiring them to provide care that goes against their values.
Critics on the right demanded a review of the clinic, and GOP officials attended a rally arranged by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to protest gender-affirming treatments for minors. In January 2023, Tennessee lawmakers came together and introduced Senate Bill 1, which aimed to ban gender-affirming care. Despite opposition from transgender individuals and the majority of Democrats, the bill was ultimately approved.
Emily Cochrane is a journalist for The Times who reports on news in the southern United States, with her home base being in Nashville. To learn more about Emily Cochrane
Prom
Index of Pages
Navigation for Site Information
