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Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care was prompted by the opening of a transgender care clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2018. After several years, conservatives demanded an investigation into the clinic.
Written by Emily Cochrane
When Vanderbilt University Medical Center announced the opening of a new transgender clinic in 2018, it received minimal attention. The announcement simply provided information about the clinic’s location, operating hours, and introduced two senior staff members in a concise four-paragraph news release.
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. These posts mentioned that a staff member at the clinic had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-making opportunities and used harsh language to criticize the center’s treatments.
The medical center, not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, responded by stating that their clinic’s purpose is to provide care for a population at high risk for mental and physical health problems, who have historically not received adequate services from the U.S. healthcare system.
The hospital stated that they do not treat children under 18 without parental consent. They also made it clear that they will not compel any staff member to provide care that goes against their personal or religious beliefs.
After calls from conservative groups, a clinic was investigated and Republican leaders attended a rally organized by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to oppose gender-affirming care for children. Tennessee legislators gathered in January 2023 and introduced Senate Bill 1, which aimed to ban gender-affirming care. Despite objections from transgender individuals and the majority of Democrats, the bill was passed.
Emily Cochrane is a journalist who works for The Times and focuses on reporting news from the American South. She is located in Nashville. For additional information about Emily Cochrane
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