Gay scholar Allison Chapman told Truthout, “This is a truly horrible growth in Tennessee.”
The Tennessee Senate approved a bill on Thursday that may make it illegal to provide gender-affirming treatment to transgender children without parental acceptance. The bill’s scope is broad, and it has the potential to make those who provide information about possibilities for young trans people in Tennessee illegal.
Tennessee’s situation is “absolutely horrible.” If transgender people don’t have parental permission, the law could be brought against them, according to LGBTQ legislative researcher Allison Chapman.
Senate Bill 2782 threatens any child in Tennessee who “recruits, harbors, or transports” a small for the purpose of accessing sex-affirming treatment with a Class C criminal, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The legislation is really comparable to an “anti-pregnancy prostitution” law the Senate approved the day before.
According to state senator Jeff Yarbro (D), “we’ve had two payments in two weeks control the types of interactions people can have with one another.” We shouldn’t be attempting to violate our constitutional rights, and this is intended to do just that.
Critics have pointed out that infractions of the anti-trans laws can range from discussing a site with a girl to facilitating their journey to a state with laws enforcing safeguards for gender-affirming treatment.
According to Chapman, “The threat of this law was lead activists and advocates like myself to refuse to speak with transgender teens in Tennessee out of fear of being detained for a felony.”
According to the Movement Advancement Project, Tennessee is one of the 23 says that already outlaw gender-affirming treatment for transgender children. Five states — Alabama, Florida, Idaho, North Dakota, and Oklahoma — have made providing best practice health treatment for transgender youth a criminal.
In some states, such as Mississippi and Iowa, bans on sex-affirming treatment have been expanded to encompass bans on “aiding and abetting” for treatment. These steps have raised fears that lawyers, speech therapists, and LGBTQ+ agencies could also be targeted. But, Senate Bill 2782 would be the first rules in the country to use over state lines.
A committee hearing on the Tennessee bill is scheduled for April 16th. According to transgender activist and journalist Erin Reed, the state and different claims that have taken measures to protect their transgender citizens and those seeking abortions, may face a fight if the bill is passed. Additionally, providing information about transgender medical to state minors might have an incredibly cold impact.
State senators have introduced 484 anti-LGBTQ+ costs this legislative session, 34 of which are in Tennessee, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
“LGBTQ+ people, particularly trans children, have been under severe harm the past two years in Tennessee. This causes LGBTQ+ youth to experience hostile or even hostile environments in all aspects of their lives,” Chapman told Truthout. “The state’s complex and multifaceted attack on trans youth will result in a situation where it will be nearly impossible for anyone to support trans youth, ultimately leading to severe trauma or even death.”
