Vanderbilt's transgender health clinic pauses gender-affirming surgery for minors amid GOP pressure


Amid intense pressure from Republicans, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center's transgender clinic has decided to suspend all gender-affirming surgeries for minors.
Dr. C. Wright Pinson, an executive at the Nashville, Tennessee, health center, sent a letter to Republican lawmakers in the state confirming they would be "pausing" gender-affirming procedures in order to "review recommendations."
In a statement sent to CNN, Vanderbilt confirmed the letter was real, but would not elaborate on the new policy.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Gender-affirming surgeries are defined by the Cleveland Clinic as "procedures that help people transition to their self-identified gender," and Vanderbilt's decision comes despite a large majority of the medical community, including the American Medical Association, concluding that gender-affirming surgeries are safe, effective, and can help children with gender dysmorphia.
The decision to halt gender-affirming surgeries comes under a wave of criticism over the procedures, mostly from Republican politicians in GOP-led states such as Tennessee. The push for Vanderbilt to change its policy was led by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R), who told The Tennessean that the university's clinic raised "serious moral, ethical, and legal concerns," and added that their practices should be investigated.
As part of the anti-gender-affirming push, the state legislature also passed a 2021 law banning hormone therapy for children.
Vanderbilt's decision was heavily criticized by the medical and legal community, including the AMA and the ACLU. The latter said in a statement, "Parents, patients, and medical professionals, not politicians, should decide what medical care is in the best interest of any particular young person."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
August 17 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include voting rights of felons, misdirection on the way to the Alaska summit, and more
-
5 crime-ridden cartoons about National Guard deployment in DC
Cartoons Artists take on the crime of littering, the real criminals in DC, and more
-
Trump and Modi: the end of a beautiful friendship?
In the Spotlight Harsh US tariffs designed to wrest concessions from Delhi have been condemned as 'a new form of imperialism'
-
Border agents crash Newsom redistricting kickoff
Speed Read Armed federal Border Patrol agents amassed outside the venue where the California governor and other Democratic leaders were gathered
-
Man charged for hoagie attack as DC fights takeover
Speed Read The Trump administration filed felony charges against a man who threw a Subway sandwich at a federal agent
-
Trump BLS nominee floats ending key jobs report
Speed Read On Fox News, E.J. Antoni suggested scrapping the closely watched monthly jobs report
-
Trump picks conservative BLS critic to lead BLS
speed read He has nominated the Heritage Foundation's E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics
-
Trump takes over DC police, deploys National Guard
Speed Read The president blames the takeover on rising crime, though official figures contradict this concern
-
Trump sends FBI to patrol DC, despite falling crime
Speed Read Washington, D.C., 'has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world,' Trump said
-
Trump officials reinstating 2 Confederate monuments
Speed Read The administration has plans to 'restore Confederate names and symbols' discarded in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder
-
Trump nominates Powell critic for vacant Fed seat
speed read Stephen Miran, the chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers and a fellow critic of Fed chair Jerome Powell, has been nominated to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors