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In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center opened a clinic for transgender care. Conservatives later demanded an investigation into the clinic.
Written by Emily Cochrane
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center quietly announced the opening of a new clinic for transgender individuals. The announcement consisted of only four paragraphs, providing basic information such as the clinic’s location, operating hours, and the names of two senior staff members. Despite the significance of the clinic, the announcement did not receive much attention.
Four years later, Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator at The Daily Wire in Nashville, gained attention when he published a series of posts and videos discussing a clinic. In those posts, he reported that a staff member at the clinic had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profitable and used harsh language to describe the treatments offered at the center.
The medical center, not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, disagreed. They stated that the clinic’s purpose was to provide care for a group of people who are at high risk for both mental and physical health problems and have historically not received adequate care from the American healthcare system.
The hospital stated that they do not treat children under the age of 18 without parental consent and will not require any staff member to provide care if it goes against their personal or religious beliefs.
Members of the conservative party demanded an inquiry into the clinic, and prominent Republican figures attended a rally arranged by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to express their opposition to gender-affirming treatment for minors. During the January 2023 session of Tennessee legislators, a proposed prohibition 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 reporter for The Times who focuses on covering news in the American South. She is located in Nashville.
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