TN: Trans Adults Lose Healthcare Access

At least one hospital in Tennessee is cancelling scheduled surgeries for transgender patients, one example of the way the consequences of anti-trans hate are already here.

by Evan Urquhart

No one who has followed trans issues in the past couple years has ever believed that efforts to restrict transition would stop at trans people under the age of 18. While concern for children has been a constant talking point, barely beneath the surface lay a complete rejection of trans people’s right to self-determination at any age. While the laws that have passed in GOP legislatures thus far have gone after trans youth, trans adults are already losing health care access due to prejudice and a climate of fear. One example of this comes to us from Tennessee, where Methodist Hospital in Memphis has cancelled scheduled surgeries for trans patients, according to local news.

Tennessee lawmakers have vowed to ban gender affirming care for minors, despite robust evidence that it improves the lives of trans youth resulting in this care being endorsed by all mainstream medical organizations. Legal restrictions on gender affirming treatments for adults have been proposed, but as yet have not come close to passing. Nevertheless, an atmosphere of anti-trans hate is already having impacts on health care for trans adults such as the ones who scheduled surgeries at Methodist. Many trans people are being harmed and will continue to be harmed by the ongoing moral panic, even if the best happens and this moral panic runs its course without significant legal restrictions on trans adults.