State legislators showed their priorities when the first bill filed at this year’s session was an attempt to ban access to gender-affirming care for minors. SB1/HB1 has garnered media attention and a slate of testimonies as it moved quickly through the legislature. The same is true for another bill in the first 10 filed this year: SB3/HB9, which would criminalize public drag performances.
However, a number of bills threaten the freedom of LGBTQ Tennesseans, especially trans people, in quieter ways. The Tennessee Equality Project put together a list it’s calling a “Slate of Hate,” highlighting bills that overtly or more covertly limit the rights of members of the LGBTQ community.
“Tennessee has set a massive agenda of, at this point, dozens of bills aiming to limit the freedom of identity and bodily autonomy for trans people, the overall LGBTQ community, and any vulnerable population in this state,” says Jace Wilder, Tennessee Equality Project education manager. “Instead of focusing on ways to empower and represent all their constituents, they are taking away rights through abusive policy for momentary political gain. This is our state and our home as well.”
Here are some additional bills to watch:
SB5/HB1138, also known as the “Youth Health Protection Act”
Under this bill, medical providers who provide any gender-affirming care to minors are subject to having their license revoked and fines.
This bill also puts parents of trans kids in a bad position — making it unlawful for an individual to facilitate a minor’s desire to “present or appear in a manner that is inconsistent with the minor’s sex.” This includes bottom surgery, top surgery and hormone therapy, as spelled out in the bill.
SB1440/HB0239
This bill defines “sex” as biological sex at the time of birth for law purposes. This could interfere with trans people who opt to get their gender markers changed on their driver’s license, advocates say.
As it stands now, people who are trans can change the gender marker on their driver’s license with a court order recognizing the gender change or a note from their doctor explaining that “necessary medical procedures to accomplish the change in gender are complete,” according to the ACLU of Tennessee. One cannot change the gender marker on their birth certificate in Tennessee.
SB1339/HB1215
Under this bill, any medical provider that takes TennCare would be barred from providing gender-affirming care, adding yet another barrier to health care access for those who identify as transgender. Of note, TennCare itself does not cover gender-affirming surgeries.
