Vanderbilt Program That Paired Trans Activists With Those Seeking “Gender Affirming Care” Suddenly Axed

Image Credit: Vanderbilt University Medical Center / Facebook

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

A Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) program, which was the first of its kind, pairing trans activists with those seeking “gender affirming care” – including kids at one time – has been axed with no notice.

The Trans Buddy program was shut down on June 24th, and the staff of VUMC’s LGBTQ Health Program have all been laid off as part of budget cuts that eliminated approximately 650 employees at VUMC in total, 2 percent of their total workforce of 45,000.

Trans Buddy volunteers accompanied those suffering with gender dysphoria, including kids up until the Tennessee General Assembly moved to ban such medical treatments, to VUMC medical appointments, purportedly to “support” them.

Individuals that once identified as trans and have detransitioned describe how belonging to the trans community has some of the same qualities as a cult, making it hard to break away. VUMC’s Trans Buddy program likely made questioning the process of transitioning even harder as die hard trans ideologists accompanied patients to their doctor’s appointments.

While a disclaimer on the VUMC website for their Program for LGBTQ Health, which is still live at the time of this article’s publication, states that the Trans Buddy program “does not provide or influence medical services, medical advice, financial assistance, transportation, or other support services” outside of the hospital, it is hard to believe that these volunteers were completely neutral in their role.

In an interview with the Nashville Scene, former Trans Buddy coordinator Quinn Bacon, a Vanderbilt Divinity student, managed volunteers and was on call to fill in when volunteers were unavailable. The program served patients from 8 am to 8 pm, 365 days a year.

A Trans Buddy’s job was to ensure that care was not withheld from trans patients while helping advocate on their behalf, and “educate” providers on pronouns. The program continued to help trans adults when kids were no longer permitted to receive this type of medical treatment because of Tennessee law.

Current members of the Community Advisory Board associated with the Vanderbilt Program of LGBTQ Health took to social media to decry VUMC’s actions, saying they would “no longer sacrifice our credibility to support an institution that does not help us.”

The LGBTQ Caucus of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County were likewise “disappointed” by VUMC, and said so in an open letter dated July 1st, which they outlined a “pattern of decisions” that they say has betrayed the LGBTQ community.

Beginning with the pause on “gender-affirming” surgeries for minors in October of 2022 and the releasing of records to the Tennessee Attorney General’s office the following year, the letter also cited the hospital’s dismantling of DEI programs and failing to support Nashville Pride this year, all as instances of abandonment of LGBTQ locals.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.