Families with transgender children in Tennessee are facing difficult decisions due to the state’s ban on certain medical treatments for transgender youth. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to this ban.
Tennessee’s ban on certain medical treatments for transgender youth is causing difficult decisions for families. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to this ban.
The ban has had a significant impact on the lives of young people who are transgender, as it has overshadowed their typical experiences of adolescence.
Backed by
Written by Emily Cochrane
Writing from Nashville
Some families quickly left Tennessee after the state banned gender-transition care for their children, leaving their homes and pulling their kids out of school. Other families decided to stay, prioritizing trips to out-of-state doctor appointments by reducing expenses on vacations and Christmas gifts.
Even those who have chosen to remain in Tennessee are open to the idea of leaving in the future.
Families are feeling extreme pressure as the Supreme Court reviews a challenge to a Tennessee law. They are concerned that if the ban is upheld, it could worsen the situation for their children, especially with the new Trump administration planning to impose restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was passed, explained that dealing with the situation forced her to adapt to a new way of living. She likened it to experiencing a family crisis, as it affected her sense of well-being and identity.
Five families, along with three children, agreed to participate in interviews on the condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation and ongoing harassment.
In my opinion, when your child expresses their identity and needs to you, as a parent, it is important to provide them with support.
The name Kristen Chapman
We are experiencing difficulties in accessing the content of the article.
To use this website, make sure to turn on JavaScript in
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access. If you are currently using Reader mode, please close it and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times content.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Have you already signed up for a subscription? Please log in
Interested in accessing all of the articles published by The Times? Sign
Prom
Index of the website
Navigation information about the site