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The establishment of a transgender care clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2018 prompted conservatives to demand an investigation, ultimately leading to Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care.
Written by Emily Cochrane
The introduction of a new transgender clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2018 did not receive much publicity. The announcement included basic information such as the clinic’s address, operating hours, and the names of two key staff members in a brief four-paragraph press release.
Four years later, the clinic received attention when Matt Walsh, a conservative commentator at The Daily Wire in Nashville, wrote several posts and created videos discussing it. In his posts, he mentioned that a staff member at the clinic had referred to 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 with the criticism. They stated that the clinic’s purpose is to provide healthcare to a group of people who are at high risk for both mental and physical health problems and have historically not received adequate care 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 employee to provide care if it goes against their personal or religious beliefs.
Members of the conservative party demanded a probe into the clinic, and GOP officials attended a rally hosted by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to protest gender-affirming treatment for minors. In January 2023, when Tennessee lawmakers gathered, they introduced a bill to prohibit gender-affirming care, known as Senate Bill 1. Despite opposition from transgender individuals and the majority of Democrats, the bill was approved.
Emily Cochrane is a journalist who reports on news stories in the southern region of the United States for The Times. She is located in Nashville.
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