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.
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 impacted children and teenagers who are transgender, causing their typical adolescent experiences to be overshadowed by their transgender identity.
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Written by Emily Cochrane
Writing from Nashville
After Tennessee prohibited gender-transition care for children, some families quickly left their homes and withdrew their children from school. Others opted to stay but had to make sacrifices like reducing vacation and holiday expenses in order to travel out of state for medical appointments.
Some residents who have chosen to remain in Tennessee are still considering the option of relocating in the future.
Families are feeling immense pressure as the Supreme Court considers a challenge to Tennessee’s law. They are concerned that a decision in support of the ban could harm their ability to provide care for their children, especially with the new Trump administration promising to impose restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved away from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was implemented, expressed the challenges of constantly having to explain that she did not choose the situation and that there are no favorable choices. She likened the experience to a natural disaster impacting her family, altering her sense of self and comfort.
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, when your child tells you who they are and what they need, it is important for parents to offer them support.
The name is Kristen
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