Dear Vanderbilt community,
As you may know, Tennessee has recently banned gender-affirming care for those under 18. Under the new law, transgender youth already receiving gender-affirming health care as of July 1, 2023, will lose access to this care after March 31, 2024. Youth not receiving gender-affirming care by July 1, 2023, will be unable to begin receiving care in Tennessee.
Additionally, a new law restricting public adult cabaret shows has implications for drag performances in Tennessee. This is raising questions about applications of the law for transgender and gender-nonconforming people in their daily lives.
Currently there are more than 350 bills at various stages across the country that have, or potentially could have, significant impacts for LGBTQI+ communities and their families, allies and loved ones. We are deeply concerned.
At Vanderbilt, we are now, and will always be, committed to supporting the success, health and well-being of our LGBTQI+ community. We will continue to foster a supportive and inclusive environment for all members of our community.
We are convening a task force that will assess the implications of the legislation and address impacts to clinical care, educational instruction, health and well-being and other areas. Kitt Carpenter, E. Bronson Ingram Professor and University Distinguished Professor of Economics and of Health Policy and founder and director of Vanderbilt’s LGBTQ+ Policy Lab, will lead the group. Carpenter also holds appointments in the Law School; Leadership Policy and Organizations; Medicine, Health and Society; and Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Others serving on the task force include:
- Jessica Clarke, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Law and co-director of the George Barrett Social Justice Program. Clarke writes about antidiscrimination law, with a focus on sex, gender and sexuality
- Pam Jones, associate vice chancellor for health and wellness
- G.L. Black, vice provost for student affairs and dean of students
- Stephanie Mahnke, director of the K.C. Potter Center and LGBTQI Life at Vanderbilt
- Catherine A. Wood, executive director, Human Resources
The task force will work in consultation with with students, student organizations, faculty and staff to assess the impact of the new laws and serve as a resource for informing academic discussion and policy. There are several considerations, and as a university we are refining our understanding to help our community safely navigate this new reality.
We are a supportive and interconnected community, and we will continue to draw on our strengths and work together to support and affirm the dignity of one another. Below are resources that may be helpful.
Resources at the K.C. Potter Center include:
- Processing session – Monday, March 6, from 3 to 4 p.m. Open to transgender and nonbinary members of the Vanderbilt community, the session will be held with support from a counselor from the University Counseling Center.
- Continuum (virtual group for LGBTQIA+ counseling) - Open to undergraduate and graduate students.
- TGQ Affinity Group – A transgender and nonbinary community space open to all who identify as part of this community. Meets Wednesdays at 5 p.m. at the K.C. Potter Center.
- Drop-in counseling – Held Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m. at the K.C. Potter Center with a counselor trained in working with transgender clients.
Clinical care resources include:
- Student Health Center – For more information about health care services available to the LGBTQI+ community, visit the center’s website.
- For questions and assistance regarding options for continuing affirming care, students on Vanderbilt’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) can contact the plan administrator or a SHIP representative. Faculty and staff who have questions and need assistance may contact Aetna Member Services and ask to speak with a transgender advocate.
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center patients who need help navigating affirming services can contact VUMC’s Program for LGBTQ Health. The program provides resource navigation services and helps people connect to affirming health care services at, or outside of, VUMC. The program can also assist with finding affirming therapists and other services that may fall outside their scope of practice. The Program for LGBTQ Health can be reached by calling 615-936-3879 or emailing lgbtq.health@vumc.org.
The larger university’s resources also continue to be available to you. These include:
We will share additional information about resources as it becomes available. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our offices with any continuing concerns and questions.
Sincerely,
Daniel Diermeier
Chancellor
C. Cybele Raver
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
André Churchwell
Vice Chancellor for Outreach, Inclusion and Belonging and Chief Diversity Officer