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A28 u.s. news
Dialuna 24 Mei 2021

Tennessee moves to the forefront with anti-transgender laws

ed by Tennessee youths in crisis 2,400
times over the past year, according to
Executive Director Amit Paley.

“Our son asks regularly, ‘When can
we move, or can you send me to
boarding school?’” said Amy Allen,
whose 8th grade transgender son is
dreading changing from private to
public school next fall.

Nashville’s mayor warned that the
business signage requirement for
bathrooms and other facilities could
be particularly detrimental for his
growing, progressive-leaning city,
which is often at odds with social
policies coming from the GOP-dom-
inated Capitol downtown.

“This law is part of an anti-LGBT po-
litical platform of hate and division,”
said Mayor John Cooper, a Demo-
crat. “One of the risks for Nashville
is that the hostility inherent to these
signs can be the equivalent of hang-
ing up another sign: a ‘Do not come
here’ sign. We are an inclusive city,
and that won’t change.”
Some of Tennessee’s new laws face
practical challenges.

(AP) — Conservative lawmakers ward political shift in a state Repub- the state of hate,” said Sasha Buchert, The signage bill’s sponsor said people
nationwide introduced a flurry licans already firmly controlled. Lee’s a Lambda Legal senior attorney. could file lawsuits or district attor-
of anti-LGBTQ bills this year, Republican predecessor tapped the neys could ask a judge to force busi-
but no state’s political leaders brakes on some socially conservative The governor recently defended the nesses to comply. But Tennessee Dis-
have gone further than Tennessee legislation, but emphatic GOP elec- school-bathroom rule. “That bill trict Attorneys General Conference
in enacting new laws targeting tion wins fueled by strong support provides equal access to every stu- President Amy Weirich says the bill
transgender people. for former President Donald Trump dent,” he said. “doesn’t speak to anything having to
have emboldened lawmakers since do with enforcement,” so her group
Lawmakers passed and Republican then. That’s the political landscape in Neighboring Arkansas is the only remained neutral on the bill.
Gov. Bill Lee signed five new bills which Lee is launching his 2022 re- other state to ban gender-confirming
into law, consistently dismissing con- election bid. care for minors, one of three new “The way it’s written, I don’t see any-
cerns that they discriminate against anti-transgender laws there. Mon- thing that allows or provides me the
an already vulnerable population, Legislatures in 30 other states, most tana has two new legal restrictions responsibility or right to go to civil
that some of the laws are unworkable of them Republican-controlled, have for transgender people. Sports bans court and ask a judge to enforce it,”
and that they could damage the state’s considered banning trans youth from have also passed in a handful of other said Weirich, Shelby County’s district
reputation. sports teams that align with their gen- states, including Alabama, Mississip- attorney.
der identity. Twenty have weighed pi and West Virginia.
Supporters defend the laws policy bans on gender-confirming medi- Regarding the medical treatment ban,
by policy, arguing that one protects cal care for transgender minors. The The decadeslong culture war over advocates say no doctor in Tennessee
parental rights, others protect girls Human Rights Campaign has called LGBTQ rights has focused on trans- currently provides youth hormone
and women and one even improves 2021 the worst year for anti-LGBTQ gender Americans in recent years therapy before puberty.
equality. Opponents reject those legislation in recent history. and has increasingly been a topic of
claims. discussion on conservative-leaning Supporters of sports-team bans have
Tennessee this year banned transgen- news outlets. largely been unable to cite local cas-
Colin Goodbred, a 22-year-old trans- der athletes from playing girls public es — in Tennessee or nationwide
gender student raised in the Nash- high school or middle school sports. The recent wave of bills has had — where trans athletes were seen to
ville suburbs who attends college in The state is poised to become the first support from conservative groups have a competitive advantage. They
New Hampshire, says the bevy of to require government buildings and including the Heritage Foundation argue that the rules will ensure a level
new laws could keep him from ever businesses that are open to the public and the Alliance Defending Free- playing field.
calling Tennessee home again. to post signs if they let trans people dom, with the latter offering model
use multi-person bathrooms and legislation for transgender athletics The new laws send a bad signal, said
“I think that these sorts of bills are other facilities associated with their bills. The push in statehouses follows Aly Chapman, mother of a transgen-
part of what is pushing me away gender identity. Democratic President Joe Biden’s ex- der son and advocate.
from identifying Tennessee as my ecutive order prohibiting discrimina-
own state, even though I spent the Public schools, meanwhile, will soon tion based on gender identity. “I don’t know how to see it any other
vast majority of my childhood, I grew risk losing lawsuits if they let trans- way than it’s about oppression, con-
up, in Tennessee,” said Goodbred, a gender students or employees use A survey by The Trevor Project trol and power and telling people,
Dartmouth College senior. “I don’t multi-person bathrooms or locker showed 94% of LGBTQ youth said ‘You do not exist,’” she said.
feel like I want to return there. I’m rooms that do not reflect their sex recent political debates over the issue
already going to college out of state. at birth. Lee also signed legislation had negatively affected their mental Advocates say the next few years will
I’m wanting to work out of state. And to require school districts to alert health. A separate question found be critical. Many fear the barrage of
they’ve made it abundantly clear that parents 30 days before students are more than half of transgender and legislation may continue.
they do not want trans people in the taught about sexual orientation or nonbinary youth seriously consid-
state.” gender identity, letting them opt out ered attempting suicide in the past “The signaling is, ’Hey, look at what
of the lesson. year. we’ve been able to do. Here’s the
Tennessee’s emergence as an anti- road map,’” Chapman said. “They’re
LGBTQ leader grows out of a right- “Tennessee is taking the crown for The Trevor Project has been contact- not done.”