Federal court blocks Tennessee's anti-trans bathroom law from going into effect

[Come_Hither1]

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee


A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked a Tennessee law requiring businesses to publicly post "policy" signs showing that they have trans-friendly bathrooms from going into effect.

Middle District of Tennessee Judge Aleta A. Trauger granted a temporary injunction on Friday that blocks the law, according to The Tennessean.

The law was signed by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in May, and requires businesses to post signs with a red "NOTICE" title at the top.

The rest of the sign must read: "This facility maintains a policy of allowing the use of restrooms by either biological sex, regardless of the designation on the restroom."

Advocates initially criticized the bill for alienating trans people for simply trying to use the restroom, which can make them more vulnerable to transphobic violence.

Human Rights Campaign president Alphonso David said the bill could "cause real harm to transgender Tennesseans" if passed into law.

The American Civil Liberties Union and its Tennessee chapter had filed a lawsuit against the state on behalf of business owners, saying that the law was "unconstitutional."

The law was the latest attempt by GOP-led state governments to pass laws targeting transgender citizens. Currently, there are over 100 anti-trans bills that have been introduced to local legislatures in 2021 alone, many of them directly targeting trans children.


Advocates say transgender bathroom bills have a direct impact on trans health and safety

The first prominent flashpoint in the trans bathroom debate took place in 2013 when a Colorado school district attempted to bar a trans 6-year-old from using the girls' restroom at her school.

The Colorado Civil Rights Division ruled against the school's decision, setting a precedent in favor of trans children using the restroom of their choosing at school.

The US Supreme Court upheld this precedent in the last week of Pride month this year.

On June 28, SCOTUS refused to hear a case appealing the decision to allow trans students to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender, Gavin Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board.

Advocates say bathroom bills that target trans kids are dangerous because they send a message that trans people are lying about their identity or trying to "trick" people.

"It doesn't make any sense at all to let grown adult men — strangers — to be alone in bathrooms with little girls," Senator Ted Cruz said in 2016 while speaking in support of a trans bathroom bill.

This same sentiment trickles into everyday harassment, with the majority of trans people reporting they have experienced some kind of harassment in public restrooms.

 

[Escierto]

It’s a sad commentary on what a truly fucked up country this is. Meanwhile in the Philippines my transgender girlfriend has gone to women’s restrooms for her entire 35 years of life without incident. Transgender people do not have the protection of law there nor can they marry but there is no anti transgender hysteria as there is here.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I read Trauger's decision. She was pretty scathing:

Even if one were to assume... that there is a compelling interest in allowing patrons of a business to know its bathroom policies—which the court finds doubtful—then that purpose could still be served by simply requiring businesses to disclose that information when asked or to keep it filed away somewhere accessible. There would certainly be no need to dictate the precise language required for the notice, the precise size and location of the disclosure, or that the sign have a red-and-yellow, warning-sign color scheme, as if to say, "Look Out: Dangerous Gender Expressions Ahead." ... Justice is blind, but the court does not have to play dumb.

...to state the obvious, the people on one side of a disagreement do not get to unilaterally declare their position to be uncontroversial, because that is not how the concept of "controversy" works. Put another way, the defendants might be wise to accept that, once you are in a heated argument with multiple folks about whether your position is uncontroversial, there is a good chance that you may have already lost.

Although at least one key supporter of the Act... justified its requirements in relation to supposed risks of sexual assault and rape, there is (1) no evidence, in either the legislative record or the record of this case, that there is any problem of individuals' abusing private bathroom policies intended to accommodate transgender and intersex individuals for that purpose and (2) no reason to think that, if such a problem existed, the mandated signs would address it. Indeed, the defendants do not even attempt to argue that such fears are well-founded, let alone compelling.

 

[astuffedshirt_perv]

I read Trauger's decision. She was pretty scathing:

Fun fact! Back in the day, there was a bar in Ft Walton...or was it Pensacola? That had signs:

Mens
room is behind you. This is the Ladies room.

Same on the ladies room. Hilarious, right? But some little girl went in the wrong room, daddy got mad, sued and the signs were clarified.

 

[ky81nea]

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee


A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked a Tennessee law requiring businesses to publicly post "policy" signs showing that they have trans-friendly bathrooms from going into effect.

Middle District of Tennessee Judge Aleta A. Trauger granted a temporary injunction on Friday that blocks the law, according to The Tennessean.

The law was signed by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in May, and requires businesses to post signs with a red "NOTICE" title at the top.

The rest of the sign must read: "This facility maintains a policy of allowing the use of restrooms by either biological sex, regardless of the designation on the restroom."

Advocates initially criticized the bill for alienating trans people for simply trying to use the restroom, which can make them more vulnerable to transphobic violence.

Human Rights Campaign president Alphonso David said the bill could "cause real harm to transgender Tennesseans" if passed into law.

The American Civil Liberties Union and its Tennessee chapter had filed a lawsuit against the state on behalf of business owners, saying that the law was "unconstitutional."

The law was the latest attempt by GOP-led state governments to pass laws targeting transgender citizens. Currently, there are over 100 anti-trans bills that have been introduced to local legislatures in 2021 alone, many of them directly targeting trans children.


Advocates say transgender bathroom bills have a direct impact on trans health and safety

The first prominent flashpoint in the trans bathroom debate took place in 2013 when a Colorado school district attempted to bar a trans 6-year-old from using the girls' restroom at her school.

The Colorado Civil Rights Division ruled against the school's decision, setting a precedent in favor of trans children using the restroom of their choosing at school.

The US Supreme Court upheld this precedent in the last week of Pride month this year.

On June 28, SCOTUS refused to hear a case appealing the decision to allow trans students to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender, Gavin Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board.

Advocates say bathroom bills that target trans kids are dangerous because they send a message that trans people are lying about their identity or trying to "trick" people.

"It doesn't make any sense at all to let grown adult men — strangers — to be alone in bathrooms with little girls," Senator Ted Cruz said in 2016 while speaking in support of a trans bathroom bill.

This same sentiment trickles into everyday harassment, with the majority of trans people reporting they have experienced some kind of harassment in public restrooms.

just do what harbor freight and some others have done make the bathroom male or female or have a family bathroom so a dad can take a daughter to the bathroom with out having to take her into the mens room but anyone can use the fam bathroom

 

[ky81nea]

if you have a bathroom for men or women / everyone/ unisex no prob.....

 

[stickygirl]

if you have a bathroom for men or women / everyone/ unisex no prob.....

You mean like every house in the US?

 

[urguyscott]

There are proper public rest rooms that have a sign for use by both men and women and they also have a lock on the inside that a person can lock while there. This is great for a small business with little space for more than one public restroom. The problem that people are complaining about is that the wokes and other molesters and those with a war on women want rooms that men and women can use at the same time. And any woke freak who just says "I'm a woman." just so he can get into a locker room, a woman's shower, or stall is the kind of guy most men would be happy to cut the freaks dick off. Oh, stickygirl, when you go into the bathroom at your home do you close the door? If so why?

 

[2tallpaul]

We had family restrooms in our business for changing tables and handicapped access. The cost of handicapped stalls made adding a third cheaper and allowed for a larger private room for hand bars or a guest to assist. We added an additional private bath with a full shower for employees aside to the main from our employee restrooms. Male, female etc. there are just times you need privacy.

 

[urguyscott]

2tallpaul has explained it perfect as a business person. The same goes for schools, gyms, etc. A person requires privacy and has a right to it in such matters. And some fool who gives the "woke" lie "I feel like a woman." will have no case when some female kicks him in he balls.

 

[stickygirl]

if you have a bathroom for men or women / everyone/ unisex no prob.....

Exactly - like they have in some stop over areas if space is short... but... they have locks on the doors. I think someone got the idea there weren't locks as though unisex=pile-on-room

 

[coati]

The problem that people are complaining about is that the wokes and other molesters and those with a war on women want rooms that men and women can use at the same time. And any woke freak who just says "I'm a woman." just so he can get into a locker room, a woman's shower, or stall is the kind of guy most men would be happy to cut the freaks dick off. Oh, stickygirl, when you go into the bathroom at your home do you close the door? If so why?

Your imagined scenario and promotion of violence against "the wokes" (however you define that) reflects a paranoid personality. You took this discussion into the realm of violence.