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The reason behind Tennessee’s decision to ban gender-affirming care was the establishment of a transgender care clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2018. After a few years, conservatives demanded 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 was relatively low-key. The news release only provided basic information such as the clinic’s location, operating hours, and the names of two senior staff members.
Four years later, the clinic gained attention when Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator at The Daily Wire in Nashville, shared a series of posts and videos. In these posts, it was mentioned that a staff member at the clinic had described gender-affirming medication and surgery as ways to make money, using harsh language to criticize the center’s treatments.
The medical center, which is not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, disagreed. In a statement, they explained that their clinic’s goal was to help a group of people who are at high risk for mental and physical health problems and have 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 employees who have personal or religious objections to certain treatments will not be required to administer them.
After Conservatives requested an inquiry into the clinic, Republican leaders attended a rally organized by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to protest gender-affirming care for children. In January 2023, Tennessee legislators gathered 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 successfully passed.
Emily Cochrane is a journalist for The Times who focuses on reporting news in the southern region of the United States. She is located in Nashville. More information on Emily Cochr
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