STATEMENT: Tennessee Trans Youth Healthcare Ban
On July 8th, 2023, 6th Circuit Court of Appeals judges ruled to make the Tennessee Trans Healthcare Ban effective immediately. This ban prohibits transgender youth from seeking and receiving gender affirming healthcare, as well as doctors from providing this type of healthcare. In addition, it prohibits continued care after March 2024. This ruling comes in the wake of multiple drag show prohibition bills across the USA, with the first being passed in Montana as of May 22nd, 2023. It also takes advantage of the same language used to take away abortion access by citing the Dobbs Abortion Ruling, stating that transgender care is not “deeply rooted in the nation’s history or traditions.” Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition stands for the rights of all LGBT+ people, and these rulings attack those rights.
This is not where it ends. On February 28th of 2023 (House File 508), Iowa proposed overruling same-sex marriage. A record-breaking 500+ anti-LGBT bills have been introduced across at least 20 states in 2023, over 200 of those specifically targeting trans youth. Seventy of those so far have been enacted into state law. These bills disregard medical advice and put many of our neighbors in heightened danger just for how they were born and where they live.
Currently, the Tennessee ban is being appealed on the grounds of being unconstitutional sex discrimination. If you want to help prevent the Tennessee Trans Healthcare Ban, please consider reaching out to and supporting ACLU Tennessee.
You can also contact Tennessee’s elected officials, including:
Representative Karen D. Camper
Tennessee House of Representatives
References:
Erin Reed/Erin in the Morning (independent journalist and trans woman)
American Civil Liberties Union (follow-up article here)