Vanderbilt Agrees To “Pause” Transgender Surgeries On Tennessee Kids

Image Credit: vanderbilthealth.org

The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –

Apparently in response to 62 Tennessee State House members asking that gender transitioning surgeries being performed on minors be halted, Vanderbilt Pediatric Transgender Clinic has agreed to “pause” the procedures.

On Friday, Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville-District 14) tweeted, “I’m pleased to report that we’ve heard back from VUMC & they have agreed to pause gender transition surgery on minors.  Additionally, they will always honor conscientious objectors.  We appreciate VUMC’s response to the @tnhousegop deep concerns.”

Zachary followed up by tweeting a copy of Vanderbilt’s response letter and stating, “VUMC has agreed to pause gender transition surgeries on minors as well as honor religious objectors.”

The letter was written by the deputy CEO and chief health system officer at VUMC, said “We are pausing gender affirmation surgeries on patients under 18 while we complete this review, which may take several months.”  The clinic states they have administered roughly five ““gender-affirming surgical procedures per year” since the clinic opened in 2018.

C. Wright Pinson claims that parental consent was given for each of the surgeries and that no “genital procedures” have been done.

In their letter led by Zachary and signed by 62 House GOP representatives, that was then sent to Vanderbilt, it was stated, “The Vanderbilt Pediatric Transgender Clinic’s practices qualify as nothing less than abuse…We, the elected representative body of the state of Tennessee, ask members of the VUMC Board of Directors to take immediate action by halting all permanent gender transitioning surgeries being performed on minor children… Tennesseans across our state have demanded a swift response and a call to action. We agree that these revelations require the legislature to act immediately.”

In 2019, Dr. Ellen Clayton, JD, MD, who is a professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt said that doctors who have “conscientious objections” to these types of surgeries are “problematic” and will face consequences. 

“If you are going to assert a conscientious objection, you have to realize that that is problematic,” she said. “You are doing something to another person, and you are not paying the cost for your belief. I think that is a… real issue.”

Clayton went on to say that those doctors with religious beliefs that conflict with performing transgender surgery should face consequences. “If you don’t want to do this kind of work, don’t work at Vanderbilt.”

 A 2020 video from Vanderbilt Psychiatry’s YouTube channel admits that Vanderbilt has given “gender affirming hormones” to kids on puberty blocking drugs as young as 13.

Now that Vanderbilt has agreed to “pause” gender transition surgeries on minors, Tennesseans are hopeful that this pause will remain in effect until the lawmakers can pass legislation that outright bans the procedures on children.

In response to Zachary’s tweet, one Tennessee resident replied, “‘Pause’? That’s nothing commendable.  That word means it’s only on hold for now.”

In the response letter to Zachary by Pinson, he wrote, “We understand this issue is likely to be taken up by the General Assembly in its next legislative session. As always, we will assure that VUMC‘s programs comply with any new requirements which may be established as a part of Tennessee law.”

Senator Janice Bowling and Representative John Ragan have been working to address what is happening at Vanderbilt for the last two years, but GOP leadership did not support their bills, instead favoring one that only prohibited hormone treatments to 8 to10-year-olds, and which became law last year.

House Bill 0578 (HB0578), sponsored by Representative Ragan and Senate Bill 0657 (SB0567), sponsored by Senator Bowling , as introduced, would have prohibited the provision of sexual identity change therapy to prepubescent minors; prohibit the provision of sexual identity change therapy to minors who have entered puberty unless a parent or guardian has written recommendations for the therapy from at least three physicians; punishes violations as child abuse; and designates violations by healthcare professionals as professional misconduct.

HB0578 was first filed for introduction on February 5th, 2021 and was heard by various committees.  Action was deferred multiple times over the course of two years. Most recently the bill was placed on the House Health Committee calendar for February 9th, 2022 and they chose to defer to the Special Calendar to be published with the Final Calendar in the House Health Committee.

The Senate didn’t move on SB0567 in 2022, but referred it to the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 11, 2021.

Representative Ragan said, “After successfully getting through two House committees, I did not push this bill after being informed that it was dead in the Senate.”

The “Youth Health Protection Act,” also sponsored by Senator Bowling and Representative Ragan would have prevented healthcare providers from treating minors without parental consent, with exceptions for minors seeking treatment in certain situations.

Points of Interest about this legislation:

• Prohibits practices to be performed to facilitate the minor’s desire to present or appear in a manner that is inconsistent with the minor’s sex without the good faith medical decision of a parent or guardian of a minor born with a medically verifiable genetic disorder of sexual development.

• Prohibits penalties or adverse action against an individual who gives or receives counsel, advice, guidance, or other speech or communication, whether described as therapy or provided for a fee, consistent with conscience or religious belief.

• Prohibits infringement upon parent’s fundamental right to care for a child including the right to withhold consent for a treatment, activity, or mental healthcare service that is designed and intended to form the child’s conceptions of sex and gender or to treat gender dysphoria or gender nonconformity.

• Offers whistleblower protection for those report violations of the proposed law.

• Offers Civil Remedies – A civil action for compensatory or special damages, injunctive relief, or other relief available under law may be brought by a person for a violation of a provision of this part against a medical professional, healthcare entity, government agent, or other individual or entity responsible for the violation.

• Limitation on use of State Funds – Funds of this state or a political subdivision of this state must not be used, directly or indirectly, for the performance of or in furtherance of gender transition procedures or to support the administration of a governmental health plan or government-offered insurance policy offering gender transition procedures.

The Youth Health Protection Act was filed for introduction in the House and Senate on February 2nd, 2022 and faced a similar history as HB0578/SB0567 – multiple deferrals, etc. until it was “General subbed” in the Health and Welfare committee in the Senate which means the Senate had no interest in pursuing its passage in the last session.  Following, the House version of the bill was taken off notice.  

Representative Ragan said, “As with the previously cited HB 578, I did not push this bill after being informed that it was dead in the Senate.“

Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge-District 5) and Senator Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin-District 18) have stated that they expect a bill dealing with “transgender medical care” to be sponsored when the 113th General Assembly convenes in 2023.  

Representative John Ragan told The Tennessee Conservative that he has a bill in draft, which is similar to ones that were killed in the Senate last general session, but the push for its passage depends upon whether he is reelected to office.

Matt Walsh, whose investigation uncovered Vanderbilt’s practices said, “Today is an enormous victory in the battle to protect children from mutilation and abuse.  We are winning the struggle against one of the greatest evils mankind has ever known. But the fight is far from over.”

About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative  ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career.  Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others.  He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History.  Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com