NASHVILLE – In a letter sent out Friday to Tennessee State Rep. Jason Zachary and more than 60 of his Republican colleagues, all of whom called on Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Pediatric Transgender Clinic to stop all gender-affirming surgeries, VUMC announced the hospital was pausing those surgeries pending further review.

“We are pausing gender affirmation surgeries on patients under age 18 while we complete this review, which may take several months,” wrote C. Wright Pinson, VUMC’s deputy CEO and chief health system officer.

Last week Zachary and his Republican colleagues sent a letter to addressed to the chair of the hospital’s board of directors calling on Vanderbilt to halt the Clinic’s trans youth healthcare regarding gender affirming treatments.

The letter came a few days after Republican Governor Bill Lee called for an investigation into the clinic at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in a statement after reporting by transphobic and homophobic far-right pundit Matt Walsh on his Daily Wire show.

“The ‘pediatric transgender clinic’ at Vanderbilt University Medical Center raises serious moral, ethical and legal concerns,” Governor Lee said in his statement. “We should not allow permanent, life-altering decisions that hurt children or policies that suppress religious liberties, all for the purpose of financial gain. We have to protect Tennessee children, and this warrants a thorough investigation.”

In line with the earlier attacks on Boston’s Children’s Hospital and Washington D.C.’s Children’s with misinformation and misleading characterizations of the trans youth health care provided by those facilities, in a lengthy thread Twitter the Daily Wire’s Walsh had attacked Vanderbilt’s clinic.

According to The Associated Press, Emails provided to The AP through a public records request show hundreds of Tennesseans reached out to the governor’s office in support of shutting down VUMC’s transgender youth health clinic, with some asking him to call a special legislative session to address the issue. Others asked if he could suspend the licenses of the doctors who work at the clinic.

A few criticized Lee for not taking harsher steps earlier when he signed legislation banning doctors from providing gender-confirming hormone treatment to prepubescent minors.

Only a handful defended the clinic’s services, with some saying the transgender health care they received had been life-saving.

The Tennessee Equality Project notes that the clinic is the only healthcare provider in the state offering clinical care programs for transgender and gender-expansive children and adolescents.

JACKSON, Tn. – After a Facebook post and an anti-LGBTQ+ campaign led by Republican State Rep. Chris Todd, the organisers of Jackson TN Pride, which kicks off today, will clear the indoor Civic Center of attendees and then readmit people for the drag show with proper ID showing that they are 18 years or older.

In his Facebook post Todd warned that if the city’s mayor or other city officials approved (allowed) this event, “then they are clearly ignoring the law.” Todd then cites a state statute that references ‘adult-oriented establishment or adult cabaret’ which he claims applies to the drag performance.

The drag performance was slated to be an event billed as family friendly, open to all, however at 7 p.m. on Saturday the organizers will have to clear out the Civic Center and then check IDs of those who want to re-enter to ensure drag show attendees are 18 or older.

Darin Hollingsworth, a Jackson Pride Committee member, told NBC News Out that organizers were “horribly disappointed,” because they know local LGBTQ youths would have felt supported at the drag performance.

“We’re devastated, because we know that young people in their teens who are queer or questioning or supportive would love to see this, and parents could have brought them,” Hollingsworth said. “But we will be in contempt if we even allow parents to bring in their child, so we won’t.”

Hollingsworth said the pride event had been in the works for a year, and Jackson Pride had advertised it repeatedly. The event began to face backlash after the Sept. 17 Facebook post from Todd.

On September 27, a week after Todd’s post which created a firestorm of criticism from both those opposed to the event and its supporters, a private meeting was held at City Hall to discuss the drag show ABC News affiliate WBBJ 7 reported.

“Starting at 9 o’clock, there was a meeting that the mayor called to bring all the sides together concerning the October the 8th Pride event that is to be held at Conger Park,” said Teresa Luna, an attorney for City of Jackson.

Jackson Mayor Scott Conger, Todd, another Republican state Rep. Ed Jackson, attorneys for the state, members of the Jackson Pride Committee, officials from the local First United Methodist Church were present at the meeting. 

“This is an event that is allowed by federal, state and local law,” Luna added continuing; “We’ve done the research, we can find no federal, state or local law preventing the Pride event from occurring.”

“There were assurances from the Jackson Pride group that it was going to be a G-rated event, that there would be no nudity, nothing that would be of sexual offense to anyone, so I think that misconception was cleared up as well,” said Luna.

The outcome of that meeting in favour of the Pride organisers angered Todd and the others who filed a legal complaint against the city of Jackson in the Chancery Court for Madison County, Tennessee claiming that holding the drag show in the Civic Center would violate state law as pertaining to “adult entertainment.”

NBC Out noted that complaint read: “Plaintiffs who worship at First United Methodist Church will suffer imminent and irreparable injury if this injunction is not granted as an adult cabaret will be featured within 1,000 feet of their house of worship.

“Plaintiffs have a high probability of success on the merits, injury to the Plaintiffs will be substantial, while the injury to the Defendant is minimal as this Complaint does not seek to cancel the Jackson Pride event, but rather prevent the drag show from occurring, and the public interest will be best served by granting this injunction.” 

Before the a scheduled hearing Friday, Stella Yarbrough, the legal director for the ACLU of Tennessee along with Jackson’s City Attorney Lewis Cobb hammered out the compromise that required clearing the Center of anyone under the age of 18 to prevent their attendance at the drag venue.

Yarbrough released a statement noting that the compromise agreement will still allow Jackson Pride “to create a welcoming event that celebrates the diversity and expression of all community members.”

Todd on a Facebook post Friday after the agreement was worked out claimed victory in part reading: “By taking the issue to court, we have succeeded in having the city and the group agree to several restrictions after challenging city leaders to answer questions about why they would allow our children to be exposed to this kind of outrageous adult performance. By agreeing to the restrictions, they have effectively acknowledged that what they were promoting was way out of line. As I have stated before, this is an unlawful event. We had “right” on our side.”

 

NASHVILLE – A group of Republican state lawmakers in Tennessee sent a letter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Pediatric Transgender Clinic demanding gender-affirming surgeries cease.

The letter came a few days after Republican Governor Bill Lee called for an investigation into the clinic at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in a statement after reporting by transphobic far-right pundit Matt Walsh on his Daily Wire show.

“The ‘pediatric transgender clinic’ at Vanderbilt University Medical Center raises serious moral, ethical and legal concerns,” Governor Lee said in his statement. “We should not allow permanent, life-altering decisions that hurt children or policies that suppress religious liberties, all for the purpose of financial gain. We have to protect Tennessee children, and this warrants a thorough investigation.”

State Rep. Jason Zachary and more than 60 of his Republican colleagues sent a letter to addressed to the chair of the hospital’s board of directors calling on Vanderbilt to halt the Clinic’s trans youth healthcare regarding gender affirming treatments.

This is a time in which elected leaders must boldly lead and speak on behalf of the people.
I’ve been joined by my esteemed @tnhousegop colleagues in formally requesting that Vanderbilt Medical halt all gender transition surgeries on minors.
1/ pic.twitter.com/FgiRdLHEM4

— Rep. Jason Zachary (@JasonZacharyTN) September 28, 2022

Zachary also noted the letter also requested that all conscientious and religious objections be honored.

Walsh and the far-right extremist anti-LGBTQ Twitter account Libs of TikTok, run by Brooklyn-based Chaya Raichik have previously grabbed headlines for spreading what Trans advocates and LGBTQ+ activists call anti-LGBTQ hate speech.

Raichik who has been suspended from Facebook and also Twitter for inflammatory lies and propaganda about Trans youth healthcare, pledged to redouble her attacks on hospitals providing trans people with health care, she wrote in a rant on her Substack in which she called gender-affirming care “mutilating the body.” 

Libs of TikTok has reportedly been suspended multiple times on multiple platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Raichik’s last Twitter suspension came for accusing LGBTQ people of “grooming” children, which Twitter confirmed violates its policies against hateful conduct.

In line with the earlier attacks on Boston’s Children’s Hospital and Washington D.C.’s Children’s with misinformation and misleading characterizations of the trans youth health care provided by those facilities, in a lengthy thread Twitter the Daily Wire’s Walsh attacked Vanderbilt’s clinic.

Vanderbilt opened its trans clinic in 2018. During a lecture the same year, Dr. Shayne Taylor explained how she convinced Nashville to get into the gender transition game. She emphasized that it’s a “big money maker,” especially because the surgeries require a lot of “follow ups” Walsh tweeted adding:

Vanderbilt was apparently concerned that not all of its staff would be on board. Dr. Ellen Clayton warned that “conscientious objections” are “problematic.” Anyone who decides not to be involved in transition surgeries due to “religious beliefs” will face “consequences”

In case the objectors hadn’t gotten the memo, Vanderbilt unveiled a program called “Trans Buddies.” The “buddies” are trans activists from the community who attend appointments with trans patients, monitoring the doctors to guard against “unsafe” behavior such as misgendering, Walsh continued.

Vanderbilt makes their Trans Buddies available to children, too. They make lots of “services” available to children, including chemical castration. Though at some point in the last month they removed explicit admission of this fact from their site. Here’s the archived screenshot:

But they must have forgot to delete a video from Vanderbilt Psychiatry’s Youtube channel back in 2020 which admits explicitly that they will give and have given irreversible hormone drugs to children as young as 13, Walsh wrote in the thread.

After they have drugged and sterilized the kids, Vanderbilt — as explained in this video presentation by plastic surgeon Julien Winocour and Physician’s Assistant Shalyn Vanderbloemen — will happily perform double mastectomies on adolescent girls.

So, let’s review. Vanderbilt got into the gender transition game admittedly in large part because it is very financially profitable. They then threatened any staff members who objected, and enlisted a gang of trans activists to act as surveillance in order to force compliance.

They now castrate, sterilize, and mutilate minors as well as adults, while apparently taking steps to hide this activity from the public view. This is what “health care” has become in modern America, Walsh finished.

Vanderbilt responded to Walsh in a statement:

“(VUMC) is now the subject of social media posts and a video that misrepresent facts about the care the Medical Center provides to transgender patients,” said the university. “VUMC began its Transgender Health Clinic because transgender individuals are a high-risk population for mental and physical health issues and have been consistently underserved by the U.S. health system.”

Walsh also shared a video that featured Vanderbilt University law and genomics professor Ellen Clayton, who discouraged physicians from religious objections to transgender surgeries.

“Saying that you’re not going to do something because of your … religious beliefs is not without consequences, and it should not be without consequences,” she said in the undated clip. “I just want to put that out there. If you don’t want to do this kind of work, don’t work at Vanderbilt.”

The University in its statement disputed that assertion by Clayton:

“Our policies allow employees to decline to participate in care they find morally objectionable, and do not permit discrimination against employees who choose to do so. This includes employees whose personal or religious beliefs do not support gender-affirming care for transgender persons,” Vanderbilt wrote.

The Tennessee Equality Project notes that the clinic is the only healthcare provider in the state offering clinical care programs for transgender and gender-expansive children and adolescents.

By Sam Stockard | NASHVILLE – The House chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Government Operations Committee is unilaterally ordering state universities to suspend any policies making LGBTQ students a protected class amid federal litigation.

In a letter to East Tennessee State University President Brian Noland, state Rep. John Ragan notified the university that because a federal court enjoined the U.S. Department of Education from putting the guidance by the Biden Administration in place, colleges and universities in Tennessee could be violating state law if they follow the guidelines.

The Oak Ridge Republican advised East Tennessee State’s president “to immediately revoke and/or remove any publications, policies and website entries for which your institution is responsible that state or imply that LGBTQI+ students are a protected class under Title IX.”

Noland is requested to advise Ragan’s office by Sept. 2 about completing any “required actions.”

ETSU spokeswoman Jess Vodden said Monday the university’s legal team is reviewing the letter and has not responded yet.

Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project, an LGBTQ advocacy group, acknowledged Monday the Biden rule was put on hold temporarily but pointed out Ragan doesn’t have the authority to “micromanage” a university.

“For Rep. Ragan to instruct one of our public universities what to do, that’s not his job. His job is to make state laws,” Sanders said. “It’s not surprise he holds that view. He makes that clear in his lawmaking. We know he’s biased against the LGBT community.”

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery also is leading a group of state attorneys general nationally to turn back the federal guidance, filing suit in East Tennessee federal court. 

U.S. District Court Judge Charles Atchley in East Tennessee reportedly issued an order in late July saying the federal guidance “directly interferes with and threatens Plaintiff States’ ability to continue enforcing their state laws” restricting transgender athletic competition and use of restrooms matching students’ gender identity. 

Sanders speculated that, in getting involved, Slatery could be trying to gain favor among lawmakers and fend off legislation designed to make the attorney general’s position a legislative appointment rather than one for the Tennessee Supreme Court. Slatery is set to step down and will be replaced Thursday by Jonathan Skrmetti.

In his letter, Ragan notes that the federal government “admonished” universities, telling them that LGBTQ students were to receive protection under Title IX of federal law or funding could be withdrawn. The guidance forced universities to rush to adopt new policies, Ragan claims.

Yet because the federal court ruled that the U.S. Department of Education can’t put its guidance into effect, Tennessee’s universities can’t be penalized for ignoring the letter, a situation that remains in place unless a higher court lifts the injunction, Ragan’s letter says.

“As a result, college and university publications, policies and websites have no legal authorization or requirement to state or imply LGBTQI+ is a protected class under Title IX. Consequently, no modifications related to the 23 June 2021 letter from the U.S. Department of Education are appropriate. In fact, based upon the court ruling, such could be interpreted as violating state law,” Ragan’s letter says.

State Rep. Vincent Dixie, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, lambasted Ragan’s letter.

“For Rep. Ragan to instruct one of our public universities what to do, that’s not his job. His job is to make state laws. It’s not surprise he holds that view. He makes that clear in his lawmaking. We know he’s biased against the LGBT community.“– Chris Sanders, Tennessee Equality Project

“I think it’s ridiculous that, for some reason, Rep. Ragan has a personal vendetta against the LGBTQ community,” Dixie said. “… If the federal government says this is what they deserve and this is what the law of the land is, then we have to abide by it. Tennessee is not its own country. We’re a state within the United States.”

Dixie pointed out that even though the federal court put the rule on hold, the case isn’t settled, and issuing a letter to universities is premature.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office declined comment on the matter Monday. But in leading the 20-state federal challenge, its lawsuit claims the Department of Education and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “each flouting procedural requirements in their rush to overreach, issued ‘interpretations’ of federal antidiscrimination law far beyond what the statutory text, regulatory requirements, judicial precedent, and the Constitution permit.”

The state contends a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, the case cited by the Biden Administration to make its order, was a “narrow decision” in that the court determined that firing an employee “simply for being homosexual or transgender” constitutes discrimination “because of sex” under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It claims the federal government misinterpreted the prohibition against discrimination “on the basis of sex” in Title IX to include sexual orientation or gender identity, even though the law “expressly permits sex separation on the basis of biological sex. …”

The filing claims the Department of Education “compounded that erroneous interpretation by issuing further guidance in a ‘Fact Sheet’ that similarly disregards Title IX’s plain text. Among other things, the guidance warns that the Department can launch an investigation if a school prevents a student from joining an athletic team or using the restroom that corresponds to the student’s gender identity, or if a student’s peers decline to use the student’s preferred pronouns.”

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Sam Stockard is a veteran Tennessee reporter and editor, having written for the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, where he served as lead editor when the paper won an award for being the state’s best Sunday newspaper two years in a row. He has led the Capitol Hill bureau for The Daily Memphian. His awards include Best Single Editorial from the Tennessee Press Association.

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The preceding article was originally published by Tennessee Lookout and is republished by with permission.

Now more than ever, tough and fair journalism is important. The Tennessee Lookout is your watchdog, telling the stories of politics and policy that affect the people of the Volunteer State.

KNOXVILLE – A thirty-one-year-old West Knox resident was arrested last week by the Knoxville Police Department, with the help of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and charged with felony vandalism at a local Target store.

Jonathan Burns was arrested after he was identified by investigators as the suspect in spray-painting a section of LGBTQ+ Pride clothing & merchandise.

Knoxville NBC News affiliate WBIR-TV, Channel 10 reported:

On June 13 at 2:49 p.m., Burns entered the Target on Parkside Drive and spray-painted an entire section of merchandise placed out for Pride Month, KPD said. 

Burns damaged $3,884 worth of clothing, according to KPD. They also said he used red spray paint to destroy the entire section of items as well as a sign in the section, and it was the only section that was vandalized. The sign cost an additional $16 in damages. 

An employee had approached Burns and asked him to leave, according to a KPD report.

When Burns left the Target, he dropped the spray paint can on the ground. Fingerprints on the can confirmed Burns’ identity. Evidence of him purchasing the spray paint and a bucket hat from local retail prior to the incident was secured. Video from Target and the retailer where the paint and hat were purchased depicted Burns wearing the same clothing, the report said.

With @knoxsheriff's help, Jonathan Burns, 31, was arrested on a felony vandalism charge last night at his West Knox home after he was identified by investigators as the suspect from this incident. He is accused of spray-painting a section of LGBTQ+ Pride clothing & merchandise. https://t.co/tjc507iSaQ pic.twitter.com/jZaBvGKCU4

— Knoxville Police TN (@Knoxville_PD) June 23, 2022

NASHVILLE – A Republican contender for the Congressional seat currently held by retiring Tennessee Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper announced that he seeking to outlaw Pride, same-sex marriage, and trans people if elected.

In a Facebook post, Stewart Parks, who labels himself a “Republican Southern Christian Conservative Values” politician wrote:

“If you elect me, this month will be the last National Gay Pride month ever celebrated. We need to elect people into US congress that will stand up and say Homosexuality and Transgenderism are evil.

I will push to have the 2015 Obergefel vs Hodges ruling overturned which legalized same sex marriage. Two men and two women cannot come close to a unified man and woman married. I want to bring back DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) which safeguarded the institution of marriage.

Sexual Liberation is NOT western values. LGBQT+ movement is communist as they seek to destabilize our country with their divisive rhetoric and destroy families. Transgenderism and Pedophilia are now rampant in our society.

We have to ban it asap and safeguard our children against it. We have to get Transgenderism out of our schools.

When I win this election everyone will know their gender again the populace will know Men cannot get pregnant and can actively define a woman.”

In a 2022 candidate survey by Ballotpedia, Parks was asked about his political positions:

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• End Abortion Forever
• Impeach Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Kentanji Brown Jackson.
• Ban Transgenderism, Same Sex Marriage, Left Wing Radicalization in our Schools

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Ending abortion FOREVER! 1973 Roe vs Wade legalized the slaughtering of babies and must be overturned ASAP. The far left has deceived and lied their way into our school systems to the point our students have no idea what gender they are. I will ban Transgenderism and remove this horrible idea from our way of life. 2015 Obergefel vs Hodges was one of the worst Supreme Court decisions ever made. The ruling legalized same sex marriages which is an erroneous idea. Marriage is only between one man and one woman. The far left wants to keep the pandemic alive. Stewart Parks says the pandemic is over! The communist Chinese government intentionally created the virus in the Wuhan lab and leaked it to the world to advance the communist new world order. Communism and Socialism is evil and must be removed from our way of life!

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Bible