Tennessee’s War on Trans People: Court OKs Ban on Gender-Affirming Care, AG Demands Medical Records

A federal appeals court has ruled the Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth could go into effect for now, reversing a lower court order. It marks the first time a federal court has allowed such a ban on transition care to fully take hold in the United States, amid a wave of Republican-led attacks on trans rights targeting medical care, education, sports and beyond. “This is going to cause very serious harm to transgender adolescents,” says attorney Chase Strangio of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is among the groups suing Tennessee over the law. We also speak with journalist Holly McCall, editor-in-chief of the Tennessee Lookout, which recently revealed how Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office has sought and received patient records and other sensitive information from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center related to its gender-affirming care. Transcript: Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET. Support independent media: Subscribe to our Daily Email Digest: