The House sponsor of a Tennessee bill
that targets transgender people withdrew her legislation on Monday.
Representative Susan Lynn, a Republican
from Mount Juliet, said that she was pulling her legislation for this
year.
“There's definitely some issues we
need to work out,” Lynn
is quoted as saying by the AP. “We know as soon as this bill
passes, we're going to be sued. So, if we're going to be heading
into a lawsuit, we want to make sure we have the strongest position
possible.”
House Bill 2414 sought to prohibit
students in public institutions from using the bathroom that does not
conform to their gender at birth.
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert
Slatery earlier this month said that the bill would “almost
certainly” violate Title IX, possibly costing the state millions of
dollars in federal funding.
“Tennessee lawmakers were wise to
learn from the mistakes of North Carolina and Mississippi and halt
this cruel legislation that would have only worsened the
marginalization and harassment transgender students already face on a
daily basis,” said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights
Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate. “Over
the last weeks and months, a growing chorus of civil rights leaders,
child welfare advocates, businesses, and fair-minded people spoke out
and declared that transgender youth deserve our support, care and
respect. We urge Tennessee lawmakers to reject any similar future
proposals that would subject these youth to discrimination and fear.”
Calling the bill discriminatory, more
than 60 business leaders last week called on Tennessee lawmakers to
reject the measure.
Supporters of such bills claim they are
needed to protect girls and women from men pretending to be women
entering the girls' restroom.
(Related: Delaware
Gov. Jack Markell debunks “bathroom predator” myth behind
transgender bills.)
“I really believe that boys should
just use the boys room and girls should use the girls room,” Lynn
said.