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Vanderbilt University Medical Center opened a transgender care clinic in 2018, leading to Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care after conservatives demanded an investigation.
Written by Emily Cochrane
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center opened a new clinic specifically for transgender individuals. Despite the announcement, the clinic did not receive much attention. 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, created posts and videos discussing the clinic. In these posts, it was mentioned that a staff member at the clinic had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-driven and used harsh language to describe the treatments offered at the center.
The medical center, which is not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, responded with a statement. They explained that their clinic’s focus is on providing healthcare to a group of people who are at high risk for mental and physical health problems and who have traditionally not received adequate care from the U.S. health system.
The hospital stated that they do not offer medical care to children under 18 without parental consent, and they will not require any staff member to provide care if they have personal or religious objections.
Members of the conservative political party requested an examination of the clinic, and leaders from the Republican party delivered speeches at a rally arranged by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 against providing gender-affirming care to children. In January 2023, Tennessee legislators met and introduced Senate Bill 1, a proposed prohibition on gender-affirming care. Despite opposition from transgender individuals and the majority of Democrats, the bill was approved.
Emily Cochrane works as a reporter for The Times, focusing on news in the American South. She is located in Nashville. More information about Emily Cochrane can be found
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