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.
Tennessee’s ban on certain medical care for transgender youth is causing families of transgender children to make difficult decisions. The Supreme Court is set to hear a legal challenge to this ban on Wednesday.
The ban has had a significant impact on the lives of children and teenagers who identify as transgender, causing their typical adolescent experiences to be disrupted by their gender identity. This photo was taken by Lucy Garrett for The New York Times.
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Written by Emily Cochrane
Live from Nashville
Once Tennessee prohibited gender-transition care for children, some families quickly left, abandoning their homes and withdrawing their kids from school. Other families opted to stay, sacrificing holidays and vacations to afford out-of-state doctor visits for their children.
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 extreme pressure as the Supreme Court considers a challenge to a Tennessee law. They are worried that a decision in support of the ban, which was approved last year, could put their children’s care at risk, especially with the new Trump administration planning to impose restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved away from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was enacted, shared that dealing with the situation made her adopt a new mindset of constantly acknowledging the lack of good choices and feeling like she had no control over the situation. She likened it to a family going through a natural disaster, as it alters their sense of normalcy and comfort.
Parents from five different families, along with three of the children, consented to interviews on the condition of anonymity due to fears of reprisal and ongoing harassment.
In my opinion, if your child confides in you about their identity and needs, it is your responsibility as a parent to provide them with support.
The name is Kristen
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