Tennessee’s ban on certain medical care for transgender youth is causing families of transgender children to face difficult decisions. 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 will be reviewing a legal challenge to this ban on Wednesday.
The ban has had a significant impact on the young individuals who are transgender, causing their typical teenage experiences to be disrupted by their gender identity.
Backed by
Written by Emily Cochrane
Writing from Nashville.
Some families quickly left their homes and withdrew their children from school following Tennessee’s decision to prohibit gender-transition care. Other families opted to stay, adjusting their budgets to afford trips out of state for their children’s medical appointments.
There are still some people who have chosen to stay in Tennessee, but they are open to the idea of leaving in the future.
Families are feeling extreme pressure as the Supreme Court reviews a challenge to a Tennessee law, worried that a decision in support of the ban could put their children’s care at risk. This concern is heightened by the incoming Trump administration’s promises to place restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved away from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was enacted, explained how difficult it is to constantly have to explain that there were no good options and she didn’t choose the situation. She likened the experience to a natural disaster that affects your family dynamics and sense of well-being.
Five families and three children agreed to participate in interviews on the condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation and ongoing harassment.
In my opinion, if your child opens up to you and expresses their true identity and needs, it is your responsibility as a parent to provide them with support.
The name is Kristen
We are currently experiencing difficulty in accessing the content of the article.
Kindly activate JavaScript in the settings of your web browser.
We appreciate your understanding as we check access. If you are currently using Reader mode, please close it and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times content.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Have you already signed up for a subscription? Please log in
Interested in having access to all of the news and information from The
Prom
Website Map
Navigation to Site Information
