Tennessee’s ban on certain medical treatments for transgender youth is causing difficult decisions for families. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to this ban.
Tennessee’s ban on certain medical care for transgender youth is forcing families to make difficult decisions, as the Supreme Court is set to hear a legal challenge on the matter.
The young individuals impacted by the ban are experiencing challenges in their typical development as adolescents due to also identifying as transgender.
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Written by Emily Cochrane
Writing from the city
After Tennessee prohibited gender-transition care for children, some families decided to leave immediately, abandoning their homes and withdrawing their kids from school. Others opted to stay, saving money by reducing holiday spending and travel to afford out-of-state doctor visits.
Even individuals who have chosen to remain in Tennessee are still open to the idea of potentially relocating in the future.
Families are feeling immense pressure as the Supreme Court discusses a challenge to a Tennessee law. They worry that a decision supporting the ban, which was enacted last year, may worsen the care available for their children, especially with the new Trump administration promising to impose more restrictions on transgender individuals’ lives.
Kristen Chapman, who moved out of Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was enacted, explained how difficult it is to constantly have to explain that the situation was not a choice and that there are no good options. She compared it to experiencing a natural disaster within her family, as it alters their way of being and sense of comfort.
Parents from five different families, as well as three of the children, were willing 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 provide them with support.
Kristen Chapman
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