On May 14, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed House Bill 1233 (Senate Bill 1367)—an anti-transgender "bathroom bill"—into law, The Advocate reported.
The statute will deny trans students and staff in public schools access to multi-occupancy restrooms and changing rooms aligning with their gender identity, while requiring schools to make "reasonable accommodations" for them—for example, a single-occupant or faculty restroom.
Lee, a Republican, made no statement about the bill after endorsing it, but he had said earlier that he planned to sign it; it goes into effect July 1.
On March 26, Lee signed into law a measure that requires transgender students to compete in school sports according to their sex at birth, media outlets reported. He has also signed an anti-LGBTQ education measure into law.
In a press release, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) called HB1233/SB1367 "part of the 2021 'Slate of Hate' bills rippling through the Tennessee state legislature, along with the anti-transgender sports and business bathroom bills."
HRC President Alphonso David said, in part, "I want to be clear: Gov. Lee's shameful decision to sign this baseless and discriminatory bill into law will harm the health and well-being of trans students in Tennessee by creating daily degrading experiences for them at school." HRC Associate Regional Campaign Director Melodia Gutierrez added, "Why are Tennessee's elected leaders so focused on discriminating against transgender students instead of addressing real issues facing Tennesseans? They have no regard for the damaging impact these bills have on the mental health of transgender students—who have been begging state leaders to leave them alone."
Last month, Jennifer Pritzker—the world's first out and only known transgender billionaire, as well as a cousin of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker—threatened to pull her fortune from Tennessee if lawmakers pass transphobic legislation currently under consideration, out.com noted.
