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Tennessee implemented a ban on gender-affirming care after Vanderbilt University Medical Center opened a transgender care clinic in 2018. Conservatives pushed for an investigation into the clinic’s operations years later.
Authored by Emily Cochr
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center introduced a new transgender clinic, but it did not receive much notice. The announcement was a brief news release containing details such as the clinic’s location, operating hours, 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, created a series of posts and videos discussing the clinic. In these posts, it was mentioned that a staff member allegedly referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-driven practices and used harsh language to criticize the center’s treatments.
The medical center, which is not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, responded by stating that their clinic’s purpose is to cater to a population that is at high risk for mental and physical health problems and has traditionally not received adequate care from the US healthcare system.
The hospital stated that it does not treat children under the age of 18 without parental consent, and that employees who have personal or religious objections to certain treatments will not be required to administer them.
Members of the conservative political party demanded an inquiry into the clinic, and influential figures from the Republican party spoke at a rally arranged by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to express their disapproval of gender-affirming treatments for children. In January 2023, Tennessee lawmakers came together to discuss a proposed prohibition on gender-affirming care, which 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 who works for The Times and focuses on reporting stories from the American South. She is located in Nashville. To learn more about Emily Cochrane
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