Tennessee’s ban on 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, which prohibits certain forms of medical treatment for transgender youth.
Tennessee’s ban on 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 impacted children and teenagers, causing their typical adolescent experiences to be influenced by their transgender identity.
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Written by Emily Cochrane
Writing from the city
Some families quickly left Tennessee after the state banned gender-transition care for their children, while others decided to stay and make sacrifices in order to travel out of state for necessary medical appointments.
Some people who have chosen to remain in Tennessee are still considering the option of moving away at some point in the future.
Families are feeling extreme pressure as the Supreme Court considers a challenge to Tennessee’s law. They are worried that a decision in support of the ban, which was enacted last year, could put their children’s care at risk, especially with the incoming Trump administration promising to implement more restrictions on transgender individuals.
Kristen Chapman, who moved from Tennessee with her teenage daughter after the law was enacted, expressed that dealing with the consequences of not having good options feels like being forced into a different way of living. She likened it to a natural disaster impacting her family, causing a shift in her well-being and sense of 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, if your child comes to you and expresses their true self and needs, as a parent, it is important to provide them with support.
The name Kristen Chapman
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