The families of transgender children in Tennessee are facing difficult decisions due to the state’s ban on certain medical treatments for transgender youth. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to this ban.
Families with transgender children in Tennessee are facing difficult decisions due to the state’s ban on certain medical treatments for transgender youth. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to this ban.
The ban has had a significant impact on the lives of young people who are transgender, as it has overshadowed their typical adolescent experiences.
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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, leaving their homes and withdrawing their children from school. Others opted to stay, making sacrifices such as reducing vacation and Christmas expenses in order to attend out-of-state doctor appointments.
Some people who have chosen to remain in Tennessee are still considering the option of relocating in the future.
Families are feeling extremely anxious as the Supreme Court considers a challenge to a Tennessee law. They are worried that if the ban is upheld, it could put their children’s care at risk, especially with the new administration promising to impose more restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved away from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was enacted, expressed the challenge of constantly having to explain that the situation was not of her choosing and that there were no favorable options available. She likened it to experiencing a natural disaster within the family, as it alters one’s sense of self and comfort.
Parents from five different families, along with three of the children, consented to interviews under the condition of anonymity due to fears of reprisal and ongoing harassment.
In my opinion, if your child tells you who they are and what they need, your role as a parent is to help and encourage them in that.
The name is Kristen
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