The bill would have required transgender students in public schools and state universities to use the restrooms, locker rooms, and other sex-segregated facilities designated for the gender they were assigned at birth. Valerie Guenst asked the committee before turning to Jennifer, who said that although she is considered a male in the school system, administrators are aware that she is transgender.
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With an overflow crowd watching, three members, including two Republicans, of the House Education Administration and Planning Committee expressed opposition to the bill.
The bill’s House sponsor, Republican Rep. Susan Lynn, contended it was not harmful or discriminatory.
White specifically called out former lawmaker David Fowler, who is affiliated with the organization, for the email, saying, “I wrote about protecting young people”.
Jennifer, who was born male but identifies as female, is a 17-year-old Franklin High School student who has been using the female restroom.
The school lets her daughter use the girls’ restroom, even though school records list her as a boy.
Religious conservatives are pushing the legislation, but Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has raised concerns it could endanger federal education funding and says that he wants to leave the issue to local school districts to decide.
Transgender students who testified before the committee believed that their experiences had swayed lawmakers’ votes, The Associated Press reported. The fiscal note said Tennessee had received $1 billion in federal education funds past year.
Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the ACLU of Tennessee, credited the transgender students who spoke at the hearing with changing hearts and minds.
Transgender students who testified before the committee said they were elated at the result and that sharing their personal stories seemed to have made a difference. “Every child in Tennessee deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, which is why today’s vote is so important as we work to move Tennessee forward and ensure that all Tennessee children are treated equally under the law”.
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Last month South Dakota became the only state to pass a bill that would require transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond to their sex at birth.
