Prom
The reason behind Tennessee’s decision to ban gender-affirming care stemmed from the establishment of a transgender care clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2018. After several years, conservatives pushed for an inquiry into the clinic.
Written by Emily Cochrane
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center introduced a new clinic for transgender individuals, but the announcement received minimal attention. The news release only provided basic information such as the clinic’s location, hours of operation, and the names of two senior staff members.
Four years later, Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator at The Daily Wire in Nashville, brought attention to the clinic by publishing a series of posts and videos. In these posts, he mentioned that a staff member at the clinic had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profitable, and used harsh language to criticize the treatments offered at the center.
The medical center, not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, responded by stating that their clinic’s focus is on providing healthcare to a population at high risk for mental and physical health issues, who have historically been neglected by the U.S. healthcare system.
The hospital stated that they do not treat children under 18 without parental consent and will not require any staff member to provide care if it goes against their personal or religious beliefs.
Members of the conservative party demanded an inquiry into the clinic, and GOP officials attended a rally arranged by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to protest against gender-affirming treatments for minors. During the meeting of Tennessee lawmakers in January 2023, they introduced a bill labeled Senate Bill 1 that aimed to prohibit gender-affirming care. Despite opposition from transgender individuals and the majority of Democrats, the bill was approved.
Emily Cochrane is a journalist who reports on news in the southern region of the United States for The Times. She is located in Nashville. More information about Emily Cochrane
Prom
Index of Website
Navigation for Site Information