This month, Tennessee enacted a new law seeking to harm transgender students and prevent their participation in school sports. Despite a campaign seeking to halt HB 1895/SB 1861, in which NWLC submitted a detailed letter explaining how the new law will coerce many schools into violating federal civil rights laws, Governor Lee and the Tennessee legislature doubled down on singling out young transgender, nonbinary, and intersex students for undeserved scrutiny and exclusion. Because Governor Lee signed a slightly less extreme anti-trans sports ban in 2021, Tennessee now stands out for dedicating a new law to scrutinizing the assigned birth sex of children ages 5-10.
We know the recent of state-level attacks on trans and other LGBTQI+ youth in Tennessee and elsewhere do nothing to address the serious issues that have existed for girls in school sports for decades: lack of opportunities, second class facilities and equipment, and widespread abuse and harassment from doctors and coaches. We will continue fighting for the rights of transgender girls and all girls to fully participate in sports as part of a full education.