Prom
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center opened a transgender care clinic, which later led to conservatives calling for an investigation into gender-affirming care in Tennessee.
Written by Emily Cochrane
When Vanderbilt University Medical Center announced the opening of a new transgender clinic in 2018, the information provided was limited. Their brief news release only included details about the clinic’s location, operating hours, and the names of two key staff members.
Four years later, the clinic received attention when Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator at The Daily Wire in Nashville, created a series of posts and videos discussing the clinic. In these posts, it was claimed that a staff member at the clinic had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-driven and had used harsh language to describe the clinic’s treatments.
The healthcare facility, not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, disagreed with the claims made. They stated that their clinic is dedicated to providing care to a group of individuals who are at a high risk for mental and physical health problems and have historically not received adequate support from the healthcare system in the United States.
The hospital stated that it does not treat children under 18 without parental consent, and it respects the decision of any employee who declines to provide care based on personal or religious beliefs.
Members of the conservative party demanded an inquiry into the clinic, and Republican officials delivered speeches at a rally arranged by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022, which was against gender-affirming treatment for children. When Tennessee lawmakers met in January 2023, they introduced Senate Bill 1, which aimed to ban gender-affirming care. Despite opposition from transgender individuals and the majority of Democrats, the bill was passed.
Emily Cochrane works as a national reporter for The Times, focusing on news from the American South. She is located in Nashville. More information about Emily Cochrane can be
Prom
Index of the website
Navigation to find information on