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Tennessee’s Ban on Medical Care for Transgender Youth: The Impact on Families and the Fight for Rights

In Citizen
January 15, 2025

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 reviewing a legal challenge to this ban on Wednesday.

Tennessee’s ban on certain types of medical care for transgender youth is causing families of transgender children to face difficult decisions. The Supreme Court is reviewing a legal challenge to this ban on Wednesday.

The ban has had a significant impact on the lives of young people who are transgender, causing their typical experiences of adolescence to be influenced by their gender identity.

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Written by Emily Cochrane

Updating from the city

Some families decided to leave Tennessee promptly after the state banned gender-transition care for children, quickly vacating their homes and withdrawing their kids from school. Other families opted to stay, sacrificing vacations and holiday expenses in order to travel out of state for necessary medical appointments.

Even those who have chosen to remain in Tennessee acknowledge that they may still consider leaving the state at some point in the future.

Families are feeling immense pressure as the Supreme Court reviews a challenge to a Tennessee law. They are worried that if the ban is upheld, it could harm the care of their children, especially with the new Trump administration promising to impose restrictions on transgender individuals.

Kristen Chapman, who moved away from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after a new law was passed, explained that it’s challenging to constantly have to explain that the situation was not chosen and that there are no good choices available. She compared the experience to a natural disaster affecting her family, as it alters their sense of well-being and how they navigate through life.

Five families, along with three children, chose to participate in interviews on the condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation and ongoing harassment.

In my opinion, if your child tells you who they are and what they need, it is your responsibility as a parent to show them support.

Kristen Chapman

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