Transgender people are leaving Tennessee, according to NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WKRN).
Tennessee was one of the top 10 states where trans residents reported leaving because of unequal treatment, according to a national study. One local group, though, is defending the trans area.
“We frequently receive calls asking if I should remain in the position. Do I need to stay for my baby? May I simply depart? Would it be more secure for me to depart?” Jace Wilder, the Tennessee Equality Project’s learning manager, said. “All of those kinds of conversations take place every day.”
The Tennessee Equality Project publishes a list of “anti-LGBTQ” bills, “Here we are again.”
Tennessee has passed more anti-LGBTQ+ laws over the past nine years than any other state in the nation, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
According to a statement from the HRC, there are now 15 anti-LGBTQ+ laws in place, including one that forbids transgender individuals from participating in sports that are consistent with their gender identity.
A public health law forbids medical professionals from operating on a minor or administering hormones or surgeries to them.
House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portsmouth) led the bill’s passage into law in 2023 after hours of debate.
“It is harmful, dangerous, and I may say it is evil,” Lamberth declared. “What those kids need is time, mental health care, and love and support.”
State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) stated that “we need to let doctors and families make those decisions.”
The ACLU has resolved a lawsuit over an anti-LGBT law in Murfreesboro.
In addition to these laws, Wilder claimed that hate acts against transgender people have grown, particularly during Pride Month in 2023.
The Tennessee Equality Project works to give all LGBTQ+ group members a voice in order to overcome feelings of rejection or fear.
Wilder declared, “This state is our state as well; all people in this state belong to it.” “Sincerely, the core of who we are is based on the fact that we voted, lived here, still do, and have jobs here. Let’s get back to what community means and how we define it, not how others do.”
The Tennessee Equality Project, according to Wilder, will continue to fight for the transgender area for as long as it takes.
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“We do, and there are people willing to fight in this state, despite the laws’ assertions to the contrary,” according to Wilder. “Many times, our victories are more subdued, and these are the times when we don’t have to wake up in the morning worrying about what our politicians did that day.”
On February 13, the Tennessee Equality Project will convene on Capitol Hill from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm to discuss bills affecting the LGBTQ+ area with lawmakers.
