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The reason behind Tennessee’s decision to prohibit gender-affirming care was the establishment of a transgender care clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2018. Several years later, conservative groups demanded an inquiry into the clinic.
Written by Emily Cochrane
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center quietly announced the opening of a new transgender clinic. The announcement was brief, providing only basic information such as the clinic’s location, operating hours, and the names of two senior staff members.
Four years after its establishment, the clinic gained attention when Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator at The Daily Wire in Nashville, shared a series of posts and videos criticizing the clinic. In these posts, he alleged that a staff member at the clinic had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-driven practices and used harsh language to describe the center’s treatments.
The medical center, which is independent from Vanderbilt University, disagreed. They stated that their clinic’s purpose is to help a group of people who are at high risk for mental and physical health problems and have not received enough support from the U.S. healthcare system.
The hospital stated that they do not treat children under 18 without parental consent and will not require employees to provide care that goes against their personal or religious beliefs.
Members of the conservative political party requested an inquiry into the clinic, and Republican officials participated in a rally arranged by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to protest against gender-affirming treatments for minors. In January 2023, Tennessee lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 1, which 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 works for The Times and focuses on reporting news from the southern United States. She is located in Nashville.
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