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The establishment of a transgender care clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2018 eventually led to a ban on gender-affirming care in Tennessee after conservatives demanded an investigation.
Written by Emily Cochrane
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center opened a new clinic for transgender individuals, but the announcement did not receive much visibility. 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, Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator at The Daily Wire in Nashville, gained attention by sharing posts and videos about the clinic. In these posts, it was mentioned that an employee at the clinic had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-driven practices, using harsh language to describe the center’s treatments.
The healthcare facility, not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, disagreed with the criticism. In a statement, the center explained that their focus is on providing care to a group at high risk for both mental and physical health problems, who have historically not received adequate attention from the American healthcare system.
The hospital stated that they do not treat children under 18 without parental consent and they will not require any staff member to provide care that goes against their personal or religious beliefs.
After concerns were raised by conservatives, a clinic was under scrutiny, and Republican politicians attended a rally organized by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to express their opposition to gender-affirming treatment for minors. In January 2023, Tennessee lawmakers 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 who reports on news in the American South for The Times. She is situated in Nashville.
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