Families with 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 reviewing a legal challenge to this ban.
Tennessee’s ban on certain medical care 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 ban has had a significant impact on the everyday lives of young people who are transgender, as it has overshadowed their typical experiences of growing up and navigating adolescence. The image credit goes to Lucy Garrett and The New York Times.
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Written by Emily Cochrane
Sending updates from Nashville
After Tennessee passed a law banning gender-transition care for children, some families decided to leave immediately, leaving their homes and withdrawing their children from school. Others opted to stay, sacrificing vacations and holiday spending to travel out of state for necessary medical appointments.
Some people who have chosen to remain in Tennessee have not completely dismissed the idea of leaving the state at some point in the future.
Families are feeling extremely anxious as the Supreme Court reviews a challenge to a Tennessee law on Wednesday. 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 after the law was enacted, shared that navigating the situation made her feel like she had to adopt a new mindset. She mentioned that constantly having to explain that she did not have control over the circumstances and feeling like there were no favorable choices available was akin to experiencing a family crisis. The law’s impact altered her sense of self and comfort in her surroundings.
Parents from five different families, along with three of the children, agreed to participate in interviews on the condition of anonymity. They expressed worries about potential retaliation and ongoing harassment.
In my opinion, when your child tells you who they are and what they need, it is your role as a parent to provide them with the support they require.
Kristen Chapman
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