TN Republicans advance bill targeting what students can call trans educators

[Jessica_Rose ✅]

Tennessee Republicans advance bill targeting what students can call transgender educators

https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/tennessee-lawmakers-disrespect-trans-teachers 🔗

Jacob Ogles (19 March 2026)

Tennessee lawmakers are considering a bill that would bar schools from requiring students to use transgender teachers' preferred honorifics. The GOP-backed bill under consideration in the state House would stop educators from requiring preferred honorifics in the classroom.

Tennessee Rep. Aron Maberry, a Republican, said he filed the legislation because a transgender instructor at a school in his district asked students to refer to them using the title "Mx." instead of "Mr." He doesn't want pupils or parents facing consequences if they refuse to do so.

"The reason I brought it up is there is a teacher in our district that is wanting to become called by the wrong honorific," Maberry told the House Public Service Committee in February.

"I think it's important that in our education system that we teach objective truth, and your biological sex is important is part of that objective truth. So to confuse a child in a classroom or to ask someone in authority to ask a child to call them something that they are not is problematic to me."

The bill has drawn pushback from LGBTQ+ citizens, who are upset that the change in law would encourage deadnaming and bullying. Dahron Anneliese Johnson, a trans rights advocate, said the legislation authorizes and encourages harassment. Johnson, as a parent, said they encourage their own child to always be considerate of others at school, but this bill teaches the opposite message.

[Lori Dee ✅]

This happened with ONE person, and this legislator suddenly decided to make a State law.

This is the world we live in.