Tennessee’s ban on certain medical treatments for transgender youth is causing difficult decisions for families with transgender children. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to this ban.
The families of transgender children in Tennessee are facing difficult decisions due to the state’s ban on certain types of medical care for transgender youth. The Supreme Court is currently considering 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 disrupted their typical adolescent experiences.
Backed by
Written by Emily Cochrane
Coming to you live
Some families decided to leave quickly after Tennessee prohibited gender-transition care for their kids, abandoning their homes and taking their children out of school. Other families opted to stay, saving money by reducing vacations and holiday expenses in order to travel out of state for medical appointments.
Some people who have chosen to remain in Tennessee have not completely dismissed the idea of moving away from the state at some point in the future.
Families are feeling extremely anxious as the Supreme Court considers a challenge to Tennessee’s law. They are worried that if the ban is upheld, it could make it even harder to access care for their children, especially with the new Trump administration planning to impose more restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved from Tennessee with her teenage daughter shortly after the law was passed, expressed that dealing with the situation felt like being forced into a new way of living. She explained that constantly having to explain that there were no ideal choices made it feel like a family was experiencing a natural disaster, as it altered their sense of normalcy and comfort.
Five families’ parents and 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 tells you who they are and what they need, it is your responsibility as a parent to support them in that.
Kristen Chapman
We are currently experiencing difficulties in accessing the content of the article.
To use this website properly, make sure to turn on JavaScript
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently using Reader mode, please close it and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing to enjoy all of The Times’ content.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Are you currently a member? Please sign in.
Interested in having access to all of the content from The Times?
Prom
Index of the website
Navigation to find information on