Susan Lynn
A bill that would prevent transgender students from using the restroom that matches their gender identity passed a Tennessee House subcommittee on Tuesday afternoon and is up before the Senate education committee on Wednesday.
The bill would apply to students at public grade schools and universities, and the gender restrictions would extend to locker rooms as well.
Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has stated opposition to the bill, but it’s being pushed by ultra-conservatives Rep. Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet) and Sen. Mike Bell (R-Riceville).
Similar legislation was passed in South Dakota last month, but it was vetoed by their Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard.
“The Tennessee House of Representatives education and planning subcommittee showed … that they only care about cis-gender students and not trans students,” said Victoria Hester, an opponent of the bathroom bill who observed the subcommittee meeting on Tuesday. “It goes to show how much lack of understanding and hate there is in this state in regards to transgender and gender non-binary individuals. A very sad day.”
