Tennessee House Committee Advances Bill Targeting Transgender Students

In a Heated Committee Meeting, Lawmakers Pass Bill Targeting Transgender Students 

The Tennessee House Education Administration & Planning Committee Wednesday evening took up a bill designed to remove the rights of transgender children in public schools. HB 2414 would force transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms based on their original birth certificate, not their gender identity. It passed the committee by an 8-4 vote. 

The bill’s sponsor, GOP Rep. Susan Lynn, told the committee that her bill would “prevent bullying” and “protect students,” which is the exact opposite of the truth.

Communication by some of the lawmakers to a representative of the ACLU, Heddy Weinberg, on hand to testify, was hostile.

GOP Rep. Rick Womick, clearly angry, decided to take on the ACLU directly, claiming they are “constantly threatening lawsuits.”

“Joey on Friday may want to be Jolene on Monday,” GOP Rep. Rick Womick told the ACLU representative, chastising her for “coming into our schools.” She explained that the ACLU has received 2000 complaints from transgender students in Tennessee alone.

Womick, who last July sent a letter to every county clerk in Tennessee asking them to ignore the Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage for same-sex couples, disagreed that the Bill of Rights has anything to do with the rights of transgender students. He asked, “How many of these [2000] complaints are from students who have had the sex change surgery?” Rep. Womick repeatedly attacked the ACLU’s Weinberg for being involved in supporting Tennessee students. “Things are just fine without y’all middling and threatening lawsuits.”

“We don’t need government stepping in and fixing something that’s not broke,” he said, and added, “I don’t care about Title IX.” 

Democratic Rep. Johnnie Turner talked about how growing up Black impacted her. 

“What did it do to me that every time I got on the bus I was reminded I was inferior” to other children, she asked. She thanked the ACLU, the NAACP, and the Urban League who stood up for her when she couldn’t stand up for herself. She said “God made” transgender children. “These children face enough challenges. We do not have to separate them.”

“Every time I went to the back of that bus, I knew what society was doing. Don’t do that to them,” she urged. 

GOP Rep. Mark White urged the bill be held for “a legitimate study,” on the bill before any vote. “I’m in favor of slowing this down because there’s a lot of issues here.” That motion failed.

David Fowler of the very anti-LGBT Family Action of Tennessee, was clearly angered also. He insisted passing HB 2414 would prevent lawsuits, when in fact it will force them. He called transgender students “abnormal.”

The ACLU representative, Heddy Weinberg (photo above) later chastised him for calling transgender students “abnormal,” saying “we should embrace them.”

The bill now moves to the Finance Ways & Means Committee.