Legislation - Tennessee - HB 888

[Susan]

Bill summary:

Students - As introduced, requires students in public schools and public institutions of higher education to use restrooms and locker rooms that are assigned to persons of the same sex as that shown on the students' birth certificates. - Amends TCA Title 49.

How I spent my day!

We (Equality Clarksville) attended the education committee session today at the Tennessee Legislature, which was expected to take up the Anti-Transgender bathroom bill (HB888) sponsored by Wilson County lawmakers Rep. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, and Sen. Mae Beavers, R-Mt. Juliet.

There were 25 items on the agenda and the committee got to about 9 of them before adjourning. HB 888 was the last item on the agenda.

Our Chair Susan Elizabeth Larson, and Co-Chair Joydianne Damiani-Moore with her transgender son Matthew, and Angel Natal, were on hand representing both Equality Clarksville, and the Tennessee Equality Project to oppose the legislation.

Susan Larson is a transgender woman (male to female transsexual) who has recently had her gender reassignment surgery, and is the founder of Susan's Place Transgender Resources one of the worlds largest transgender web sites. A web site that has provided support and information to around 113,000 Tennessee residents, and millions more world wide.

Matthew is transgender man (Female-to-Male transsexual), and a high school student who would be directly affected by this discriminatory legislation.

We did not get the opportunity to speak to the committee, however our chairwoman was recognized before the committee by State Representative Joe Pitts at the start of the hearing!

The day was not a total loss however, as Susan Larson and Matthew were interviewed together by Jake Lowary from the Tennessean.

We expect that we will be on hand to confront the committee over this bad legislation when they meet again next week!

Bill Text:

SENATE BILL 771
By Beavers
HOUSE BILL 888
By Pody

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to student restrooms and locker rooms.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

SECTION 1.

Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 2, Part 1, is amended by adding the following language as a new section:

Public schools shall require that a student use student restroom and locker room
facilities that are assigned for use by persons of the same sex as the sex indicated on
the student's original birth certificate.

SECTION 2. 

Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1, is amended by adding the following language as a new section:

Public institutions of higher education shall require that a student use the restroom and locker
room facilities that are assigned for use by persons of the same sex as the sex indicated on the student's original birth certificate.

SECTION 3. 

This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.

Tennessee is one of the states that totally blocks transgender people born there from updating their birth certificates by statute,  even post operatively. I was so lucky to be born in California though I consider it a personal mission to force Tennessee to change that law.

[SailorMars1994]

Oh no . Hmmm, maybe all is not lost? I mean this would be horrid if passed, the forcing of a transgender person to make them assoaciate with their birth sex. But I mean, Govenor Bill Haslam, from what I have seen (which is little) seems to be rathe rmoderate, or at the very least avoid hot button social issues. Maybe he will do what Georgia Govenor Nathan Deal did and veto? And yes, Tennessee should change and move with the times in regards to birth cirtificate. Born in the province of British Columbia I can change mine without surgery!

[Lady Sarah]

I find this bill, and the anti-change laws, disturbing. I changed my name in Tennessee, but (luckily) I was born in Wisconsin, and got my birth certificate changed following my orchiectomy. I wish you the best of luck trying to get the BS changed in Tennessee, especially with the current political climate. I have no idea what it would take.

[Sydney_NYC]

This is bad, really really bad. Even though I'm currently living in NJ, I visit TN quiet a bit and I was born in TN. UTK (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) is quite progressive and unofficially trans inclusive and I visit the campus every now and then as I have friends that still work there. (I used to work there many moons ago before I transitioned.) I also have a contract (most work is done remotely, but visit on occasion) with Pellissippi State.

[RobynD]

There is no doubt that in some areas of our country, we are now the target of the culture war people, which use that cultural division to enrich themselves and hold offices of power (they should be offices of public service, the whole public). They have lost that fight and the resulting monetary support over gay rights, so they sought out a new target.

[Susan]

It failed to get a motion to move it forward in the State Senate, much less a second; and so was subsequently pulled in the State House committee as well!

[Devlyn]

HB 888 we hardly knew ye! 

[Denise]

Some sense from a politician.  Who would have thought it.  Now if we could just get the surgery requirements removed from every state.  NJ keeps trying but the moronic Governor keeps vetoing the bill.

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