Legislation Restricting Transgender Student Access to Restrooms Advances

Affiliate: ACLU of Tennessee
March 16, 2016 10:30 am

ACLU Affiliate
ACLU of Tennessee
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NASHVILLE – Today the House Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee voted to advance HB 2414/SB 2387, which would prohibit transgender students from accessing restrooms and other sex-segregated facilities that correspond with their gender identity.

ACLU-TN recently sent a letter to Governor Bill Haslam urging him to publicly oppose this discriminatory and harmful legislation.

The following can be attributed to Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the ACLU of Tennessee:

“We are very disappointed in the subcommittee’s choice to advance this harmful bill. This legislation forces Tennessee’s schools and universities to treat one group of students differently from others. This discrimination not only violates the U.S. and Tennessee Constitutions and federal anti- discrimination laws, it will have a devastating impact on young people who are already at greater risk of suicide from bullying in the schools. Transgender students deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, just like everyone else. We will continue to fight for defeat of this legislation.”

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