GOP legislative leaders say they'll introduce ban to end gender-affirming care for minors in Tennessee

Two of Tennessee's top GOP lawmakers promised to introduce legislation banning gender-affirming surgeries for minors during a rally against such treatments Friday at War Memorial Plaza in downtown Nashville.

House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, was the first speaker to call for a ban on the treatments, such as those that had been, until recently, performed on a small number of patients over the age of 16 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center since 2018.

The procedures are performed following parental consent and after full psychological examinations. Vanderbilt announced earlier this month it would pause them, following widespread conservative attacks on social media. Vanderbilt declined to comment on Friday's event.

“We need to ban this practice in Tennessee," Lamberth said. He was followed by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Tennessee, who echoed similar sentiments.

“One of the first bills filed will ban these procedures,” Johnson said.

'Harmful, irreversible surgeries'

While speaking, Johnson and Lamberth were flanked by other Republican members of the state House and Senate.

The two made their remarks at the so-called "Rally to End Child Mutilation," an event organized by the conservative "Daily Wire" blog. The event drew a motley crowd of about 1,500 anti-transgender rights activists, pro-transgender rights activists, Proud Boys, people protesting circumcision, and a variety of other right- and left-leaning political activists.

Speakers included a number of lawmakers, Daily Wire contributor Matt Walsh, one of the event's primary organizers, and former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who has since renounced her membership in the Democratic Party and has been critical of the transgender-rights movement.

On Thursday, Gabbard tweeted that gender-affirming treatment is putting children "at risk by those pushing harmful, irreversible surgeries."

She told the rally audience Friday that people were “denying the existence of objective truth,” and that by advocating for the banning of transgender care, she was protecting kids.

“Our kids are having their childhood stolen from them,” Gabbard said.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn addressed the crowd following speeches by Lamberth and Johnson. She used her speech to claim that “the left” was to blame for transgender care.

“The left has been trying to tell you how to take care of children,” Blackburn said. “We will not let them do that in Tennessee.”

Arkansas enacted a ban on gender-affirming care for minors in 2021, the first state to do so. That law, which blocks minors' access to puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries, is now facing a legal challenge.

The American Medical Association has warned other states considering such measures that they are "dangerous governmental intrusion into the practice of medicine and will be detrimental to the health of transgender children across the country."

Lots of opinions, little progress

Despite competing chants and occasional insults among those with opposing ideologies, the Friday rally was peaceful.

Leena Magsaysay, 52, of Chattanooga said she came to the rally to see Matt Walsh speak. She said she hopes the rally opens people's eyes to what she calls the indoctrination of children.

"I would never bring up a child in this world that has a choice, am I a boy, am I a girl," she said.

Sarah Champion, 31, of Nashville, was holding a sign that read, "Don't be your child's first bully," in support of trans rights.

Although both sides of the argument came together, Champion said the dialog went nowhere.

"I don't think it's been a good conversation. I think we've got two extremes on both sides," Champion said. "Both are pretty stuck in their ways."

Deana Christoffer, 58, of Franklin, said she came to the rally because she has three sons and a grandchild.

"I want children protected by adults," Christofferson said. "When you're young, you don't always make the right decisions."

She said children are being brainwashed to think they're a boy when they are a girl.

"It's confusing to a child," Christofferson said. "And I want to make sure they're protected in schools."

Frank Gluck is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at fgluck@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @FrankGluck.

Adam Friedman is The Tennessean's state government and politics reporter. Reach him by email at afriedman@tennessean.com.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville rally against gender-affirming care for minors at Capitol