NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A controversial bill cleared a final hurdle in the Tennessee Senate today. The measure is geared towards summer camps and boarding schools that let children stay the night.
The legislation requires those children to use bathrooms or changing areas that correspond with their sex at birth.
Republicans call it common sense. Some Democrats call it discriminatory.
"I don’t think any of us ever hear from our constituents that they want us to come up to the legislature to bully trans people," said State Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville. "These issues are very personal, and the government, in my opinion, should not have a role in it."
Later during a news conference, NewsChannel 5 asked Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, if the bill was prompted by a specific incident.
"I don’t know if there have been any specific incidents," he replied.
But last week, the House sponsor, State Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, shared why he's pushing for this.
"I had a constituent and his wife enroll their high school daughter at a residential summer program at one of our local private universities, and they were asked by the school whether they would mind their daughter being assigned a roommate with a transgender student, that is a biological boy who identified as a girl," said Bulso.
Buslo claims even though his constituent's daughter didn't have to room with that individual, they did have to share a hallway bathroom with them.
"Their daughter was there sharing those facilities with biological boys who identified as girls, and obviously they very much objected to that," added Bulso.
Members of the Tennessee Equality Project silently held signs when the vote was taken in the Senate. Members voted 24-4, with only four of the Senate's six Democrats voting against.
Brian Sullivan, Co-Chair of the Tennessee Equality Project, is worried this will stigmatize the transgender community and increase the likelihood of bullying. "This is a sad day, that the Senate passed this," said Sullivan, after the vote. "We will always stand with you. There is no L-G-B without the T."
Sullivan is now calling on the Governor to intervene with a veto. "This is not what the people of Tennessee want," he said.
House vote controversy
The Tennessee House of Representatives passed the companion bill Monday night, but with plenty of controversy. Members didn't get to debate the measure before House Majority Leader William Lamberth called for "previous question," a parliamentary procedure that allows the chamber to vote on whether debate should be stopped and a final vote taken.
"I do think it’s undemocratic to have a piece of legislation that affects so many people, and to not have debate on it is not — not really what lawmakers are here to do," said Sullivan.
Tennessee lawmakers passed a similar law in 2021 that required businesses and government facilities to post a sign if they allow transgender individuals to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
Fundraising efforts are underway in Brownsville and Nutbush, TN to build a statue for a major superstar who was raised there, Anna Mae Bullock. You probably know her by her stage name, Tina Turner. I was a huge fan of Tina and glad to see efforts are underway to showcase more of her ties to West Tennessee.
-Lelan Statom
