Tennessee’s ban on certain medical treatments for transgender youth is causing difficulties for families with transgender children. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to this ban.
Tennessee’s ban on certain medical care for transgender youth is posing difficult decisions for families with transgender children. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to this ban.
The ban has had a significant impact on the young individuals who are transgender, causing their usual adolescent experiences to be disrupted.
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Written by Emily Cochrane
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After Tennessee prohibited gender-transition care for children, some families chose to leave immediately, leaving their homes and withdrawing their children from school. Others decided to stay but had to make sacrifices such as reducing vacations and cutting back on Christmas spending in order to travel out of state for doctor appointments.
There are individuals who have chosen to remain in Tennessee for now, but they have not completely dismissed the idea of moving elsewhere in the future.
Families are feeling extremely anxious 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 following the passage of a law, expressed the challenges of constantly having to explain that the situation was not a choice and there were no favorable options. She likened the experience to a natural disaster within the family, altering one’s sense of self and comfort.
Five families and three children agreed to participate in interviews on the condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation and ongoing harassment.
In my opinion, if your child comes to you and expresses their identity and needs, it is your responsibility as a parent to provide them with support and acceptance.
The name Kristen Chapman
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