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The creation 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 pushed for an investigation.
Written by Emily Cochrane
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center introduced a new transgender clinic, but the announcement received minimal attention. The news release was brief, providing only information about the clinic’s location, hours of operation, and the names of two senior staff members.
Four years after its establishment, the clinic gained attention when Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator from The Daily Wire in Nashville, wrote and shared content regarding the clinic. In these posts and videos, it was mentioned that a staff member of the clinic had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-making endeavors and had used harsh language to describe the treatments offered at the center.
The medical center, independent from Vanderbilt University, disagreed with the accusations. They stated that their clinic’s purpose was to provide healthcare to a demographic with high risks of mental and physical health problems, who have historically not received adequate care from the U.S. 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 they morally or religiously object to.
Members of the conservative party demanded a thorough examination of the clinic, and leaders from the Republican party delivered speeches at a gathering arranged by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to oppose gender-affirming treatment for minors. During the legislative session 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 successfully passed.
Emily Cochrane is a journalist who reports on news from the American South for The Times. She is located in Nashville. To learn more about Emily Cochrane, click here
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