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 treatments for transgender youth is causing families to make difficult decisions. A legal challenge to the ban is being heard by the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
The ban has had a significant impact on the lives of young people who are transgender, affecting their typical experiences of adolescence.
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Written by Emily Cochrane
Writing from the city
Some families left quickly after Tennessee prohibited gender-transition care for their kids, leaving their homes and schools. Other families stayed behind but had to make sacrifices like cancelling vacations and cutting back on holiday spending to travel out of state for medical appointments.
Some people who have chosen to remain in Tennessee have not completely dismissed the idea of leaving the state at some point in the future.
Families are feeling very anxious as the Supreme Court considers a challenge to a Tennessee law. They are worried that if the ban is upheld, it could make it even harder to access necessary care for their children, especially with the new administration’s promises to restrict rights for transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved away from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was enacted, explained that dealing with the situation made her feel like she had to adopt a new mindset. She felt like she was forced to constantly explain that she didn’t have a choice and that there were no good solutions. It felt like a catastrophe had struck her family, altering her sense of well-being and identity.
Parents from five different families, along with three of the children, were willing to participate in interviews as long as their identities were kept anonymous. They expressed fear of potential backlash and ongoing harassment as reasons for wanting to remain unidentified.
In my opinion, when your child comes to you and expresses their identity and needs, as a parent, your role is to provide them with the support they require.
The name Kristen Chapman
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