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Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care was prompted by the opening of a transgender care clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2018. After several years, conservatives requested an investigation into the clinic.
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 only included basic information such as the clinic’s address, operating hours, and the names of two key staff members.
Four years later, the clinic gained attention when Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator at The Daily Wire in Nashville, shared a series of posts and videos criticizing the clinic. In these posts, it was claimed that a staff member at the clinic referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-driven and used harsh language to describe the center’s treatments.
The medical center, not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, disagreed with the criticism. In a statement, they explained that their clinic aims to provide care for a group at high risk for both mental and physical health problems. This group has historically not received adequate attention from the American healthcare system.
The hospital stated that they do not treat children under 18 without parental consent. They also mentioned that they respect the personal or religious beliefs of their employees and do not force them to provide care that goes against their beliefs.
Members of the conservative party requested a thorough examination of the clinic, and Republican officials publicly spoke at a rally led by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to express their disapproval of gender-affirming treatment for minors. In January 2023, Tennessee lawmakers gathered and 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 for The Times who reports on news in the American South. She is located in Nashville. More information about Emily Cochrane can be found on
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