A bill which is known as the "Bathroom Bill" would require students to use restrooms and locker rooms that match their sex at birth rather than the one they choose to identify with.
ABC News reported that the Bathroom Bill is advancing despite opposition from Bill Haslam, a Republican state governor. The bill passed unanimously in the Administration, Planning Subcommittee, and Education on Tuesday.
Many transgender students, including their supporters, were disappointed by the lawmakers' political move. The Lesbian Community Center and the people of Memphis said this bill is problematic for the youth, particularly the transgender individuals. The Americans Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee also expressed their disappointment to the bill, saying it discriminates against transgender kids.
According to FOX13, House Bill 2414 requires public college and public school to use a bathroom and locker room assigned for use by people of the same sex as the sex specified on the student's original birth certificate.
The house bill was pushed by the conservatives, sponsored by Representative Susan Lynn, R-Riceville, R-Mount Juliet, and Senator Mike Bell. The Republicans who backed the measure said that it would protect the privacy of the students. Meanwhile, Republican Mark White from Memphis said members had a compassion for transgender youth, however, they had to create a balance while creating a law for all the youth of the nation.
An organization named Gender Spectrum formed to address concepts of gender expression and gender identity, said gender can be detrimental to any young individual that does not fit into a specific category. The organization also pointed out that biological sex and gender are different and that gender is not inherently connected to an individual's anatomy, says The Tennessean.
South Dakota became the only state in the US to pass a legislation that would require transgender to use restrooms that correspond to their sex at birth, but Rep. Gov. Dennis Daugaard vetoed the bill.
