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The creation of a transgender care clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2018 led to a ban on gender-affirming care in Tennessee after conservatives demanded an investigation.
Written by Emily Cochrane
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center announced the opening of a new clinic for transgender individuals. However, the announcement received little attention as it only included basic information such as the clinic’s location, operating hours, and the names of two senior staff members.
Four years after its opening, the clinic gained attention when Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator at The Daily Wire in Nashville, created a series of online posts and videos discussing the clinic. These posts alleged that a staff member had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-driven and used harsh language to criticize the treatments offered at the center.
The medical center, not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, disagreed with the criticism. They stated that the clinic’s purpose is to provide care to a high-risk group of individuals who have historically been neglected by the healthcare system in the United States.
The hospital stated that it does not treat children under 18 without parental consent and will not require any staff member to provide care if it goes against their personal or religious beliefs.
After concerns were raised by conservatives, a clinic was under investigation. Republican leaders participated in a rally organized by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022, opposing gender-affirming care for children. In January 2023, Tennessee legislators introduced Senate Bill 1, aiming to ban gender-affirming care. Despite objections from transgender individuals and the majority of Democrats, the bill was passed.
Emily Cochrane is a journalist who reports on news from the American South for The Times. She is located in Nashville. To learn more about Emily Cochrane, please visit
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