Tennessee’s ban on certain medical care for transgender youth is causing families of transgender children to face difficult decisions. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to this ban.
Tennessee’s ban on certain medical care for transgender youth is causing families of transgender children to make difficult decisions. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to this ban.
The ban has had a significant impact on the everyday lives of children and teenagers who are transgender, overshadowing their typical adolescent experiences.
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Written by Emily Cochrane
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After Tennessee prohibited gender-transition care for children, some families decided to leave immediately, leaving their homes and schools. Those who stayed behind made sacrifices, such as cutting back on expenses like vacations and Christmas gifts, in order to travel out of state for their children’s medical appointments.
Some people who have chosen to remain in Tennessee are still considering the option of moving away at some point in the future.
Families are feeling extreme pressure as the Supreme Court reviews a challenge to a Tennessee law. They are worried that if the ban is upheld, it could put their children’s care at risk, especially with the Trump administration planning to impose more restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who relocated from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was enacted, described the experience as having to adapt to a new way of living where she constantly has to explain that she didn’t choose this situation and there are no good choices. She likened it to experiencing a natural disaster within her family, as it alters her sense of normalcy and comfort.
Parents from five additional families, along with three of the children, were willing to participate in interviews on the condition of anonymity due to fears of reprisal and ongoing harassment.
In my opinion, if your child tells you who they are and what they need, as a parent your role is to provide support for them.
The name is Kristen
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