Tennessee’s ban on certain medical treatments for transgender youth is causing families to make difficult decisions. The Supreme Court is currently considering a legal challenge to this ban.
Tennessee’s ban on certain medical treatments for transgender youth is causing difficult decisions for families. The Supreme Court is reviewing a legal challenge to this ban on Wednesday.
The ban has had a significant impact on the lives of children and teenagers who are transgender, overshadowing their typical experiences of adolescence.
Backed by
Written by Emily Cochrane
Live from Nashville
After Tennessee prohibited gender-transition care for children, some families decided to leave immediately, leaving their homes and pulling their kids out of school. Other families opted to stay, making sacrifices like skipping vacations and reducing Christmas expenses in order to travel out of state for doctor appointments.
Some people who have chosen to remain in Tennessee also acknowledge that they may consider relocating in the future.
The families are feeling a lot of pressure as the Supreme Court considers a challenge to a Tennessee law. They are worried that a decision in support of the ban could make it even harder for them to take care of their children, especially with the incoming Trump administration promising to impose more restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved out of Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was enacted, expressed the challenges of constantly having to explain that the situation was not a choice and there were no good options. She likened the experience to a natural disaster affecting her family dynamics and sense of comfort.
Parents from five additional 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 confides in you about their identity and needs, your role as a parent is to provide them with support and acceptance.
The name is Kristen
We are currently experiencing difficulties in accessing the content of the article.
To use this website, make sure to turn on JavaScript in
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently in Reader mode, please sign out and login 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? Please login to access your account
Interested in accessing all the content from The Times? Simply subscribe to
Prom
Index of pages on the website
Navigation for finding