Tennessee’s ban on certain medical care for transgender youth is causing difficult decisions for families with transgender children. The Supreme Court is reviewing a legal challenge to the ban on Wednesday.
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.
The ban has had a significant impact on the everyday lives of young people who are transgender, as it has overshadowed their typical adolescent experiences.
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Authored by Emily Cochr
Writing from the city
After Tennessee passed a law banning gender-transition care for children, some families left the state quickly, leaving their homes and withdrawing their children from school. Other families decided to stay but had to make sacrifices like reducing vacations and Christmas spending in order to travel out of state for medical appointments.
Some people who have chosen to remain in Tennessee are still considering the option of moving away in the future.
Families are feeling extremely anxious as the Supreme Court listens to arguments about 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 Trump administration promising restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved away from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was passed, expressed the challenges of constantly having to explain that she didn’t choose this situation and that there are no good options. She described the experience as feeling like a natural disaster that alters how you behave and where you feel comfortable.
Parents from five additional families, along with three of their children, were willing to participate in interviews on the condition of anonymity due to fears of backlash and ongoing harassment.
In my opinion, if your child confides in you about their identity and what they require, it is your responsibility as a parent to provide them with support.
The name Kristen Chapman
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