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.
Tennessee’s ban on certain medical care 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 young individuals who are transgender, as it has overshadowed their typical experiences during adolescence.
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Written by Emily Cochrane
Writing from the city
Some families decided to leave Tennessee after the state banned gender-transition care for their children, while others stayed behind and made sacrifices in order to continue their children’s treatments by traveling out of state for doctor appointments.
Even those who have chosen to remain in Tennessee admit that they are open to the idea of moving away in the future.
Families are feeling extreme pressure as the Supreme Court reviews a challenge to a Tennessee law. They are concerned that a decision in favor of the ban, which was enacted last year, could impact the care their children receive, especially with the upcoming administration planning to implement restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was enacted, describes the challenging experience of having to constantly explain that she didn’t have a choice in the matter and that there were no good options available to her. She compares the situation to a natural disaster that disrupts the family dynamic and forces them to adapt to a new way of being and feeling.
Five families and three children agreed to be interviewed anonymously due to fears of retaliation and ongoing harassment.
In my opinion, as a parent, it is important to support your child when they express their needs and identity to you.
The name is Kristen
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