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.
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 the ban.
The ban has impacted children and teenagers who are transgender, causing their typical adolescent experiences to be influenced by their gender identity.
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Written by Emily Cochrane
Writing from the city
Some families left quickly after Tennessee prohibited gender-transition care for their children, while others stayed behind and made sacrifices to travel out of state for necessary medical appointments.
Some people who have chosen to remain in Tennessee are still considering the option of moving away 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 if the ban is upheld, it could negatively impact the care their children receive, especially with the new administration’s promises to impose restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was passed, expressed the challenges of constantly having to justify not choosing a situation with any good solutions. She described the experience as feeling like a natural disaster within the family, altering their sense of well-being and identity.
Parents from five different families, along with 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 role as a parent to be there for them and provide support.
The name Kristen Chapman
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