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In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center introduced a new clinic for transgender care. However, years after its opening, conservative groups demanded an investigation into the clinic.
Written by Emily Cochrane
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center quietly announced the opening of a new clinic specifically for transgender individuals. The announcement, consisting of only four paragraphs, provided basic information such as the clinic’s location, operating hours, and the names of two senior staff members. Despite the significance of the clinic’s focus, the announcement did not attract much attention.
Four years later, the clinic gained attention when Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator from The Daily Wire in Nashville, released a series of posts and videos discussing the clinic. In these posts, it was mentioned that a staff member at the clinic had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-driven practices, using harsh language to criticize the center’s treatments.
The medical center, not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, disagreed with the criticism. They stated that the clinic’s purpose was to provide healthcare to a group at high risk for mental and physical health problems, who have historically not received adequate support 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 they are uncomfortable with due to personal or religious reasons.
Some conservative individuals demanded a probe into the clinic, and GOP officials participated in a rally organized by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to protest against gender-affirming treatments for minors. During the January 2023 session of Tennessee legislators, a proposed ban on gender-affirming care was labeled as Senate Bill 1. Despite opposition from transgender individuals and the majority of Democrats, the bill was approved.
Emily Cochrane is a journalist for The Times who reports on news in the southern United States, with her home base in Nashville. Learn more about Emily Cochrane.
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