Tennessee's governor Bill Lee just signed into law a bill that would define sex to exclude trans people and require it on all legal documents. It is the 4th state to pass such a law.
I'm in NC and very scared about how little people are speaking out when the exact same things are happening here and we have a Desantis-like candidate running for governor. I might have to flee. :/
We want to share our appreciation again for your work, your steadfast dedication to getting the news right and out, so many folks depend on your sharp analysis....in these rough times you are the light.
As with other such horrible laws passed elsewhere, the cruelty is the point. It sounds like this can and should be challenged in courts based on Bostock (2020), which as Erin noted, was a SCOTUS ruling that said that transgender discrimination is a form of sex discrimination
Hey Erin! This bill is supremely fucked up in a lot of ways, but from what I have been able to find in Tennessee's laws, it does NOT prevent anyone from changing their gender marker.
I expect to see this change, but at present the regulations state that a drivers license *application* must include the applicant's "sex"; the section governing gender marker changes is different and makes no such reference.
Have you seen specifics that say otherwise? Really hopeful you're mistaken, and wanting to make sure that people have the correctest information on this (because obviously if you can have the correct gender marker on your ID without committing a crime, that's... better than nothing?).
It says "evidence of a person's biological sex" includes, but is not limited to, a government-issued identification document that accurately reflects a person's sex listed on the person's original birth certificate
So, what this means if you cannot change the gender marker on your ID.
That's a fair point, although I think a reasonable alternate interpretation is that a driver's license that does not reflect that is still a driver's license and valid, but is NOT acceptable as "evidence of a person's biological sex".
I fucking hate that we're in a position to have to be talking about this in the first place. -_-
That said, you don't even have to focus on that section. Any part of the law that stipulates that a drivers license will have a sex marker on it will use the updated definition of sex.
Thankfully in Virginia here (for now…Youngkin would love to do this stuff if we don’t stay blue in November). But I don’t understand how this works if you move states. Does that mean that even if you leave TN and go to a blue state, they would not give you access to change you birth certificate? Or would that only be true in TN? We had all of our daughter’s documents changed (birth certificate, passport, driver’s license) earlier this year just in case things got worse here.
It’s so incredibly depressing. Every time I look at the news, I feel anxious and sad.
Tennessee doesn't allow people born here to change your gender on your birth certificate, ever, as far as I'm aware.
I'm from Minnesota, which does, but that's why they built the "original birth certificate" language in there.
If someone from TN moved to (for example) Minnesota, they would still not be able to change their birth certificate, but they WOULD be able to get all of their other documentation taken care of.
I'm so sorry that your family is dealing with all of this. It's awful as an adult and I can't imagine what it would feel like if it were my child instead. 🫂🫂🫂
We really protect our kid, and she’s at a very safe school with people who support her. I feel so bad for people in these other states. Praying Virginia stays safe.
That’s so weird, though. How can one state allow you to change your birth certificate and another won’t? Shouldn’t that be standardized?
You'd think, but.. You've got to go back to the history, when the "state" in United States really was meant in much the same way we use it internationally. Each state does its own thing, and "states' rights" is a real sore spot (especially among the neo-Confederates (ie, Republicans).
Each state has to accept and honor any other state's birth certificates, but they each have the power to govern how they do their own.
I'm in NC and very scared about how little people are speaking out when the exact same things are happening here and we have a Desantis-like candidate running for governor. I might have to flee. :/
Aw, crap. We're fleeing Florida and were looking at going to North Carolina :'(
Well if you happen to show up anyways and we're still here I'll give you a big trans high five lol
We want to share our appreciation again for your work, your steadfast dedication to getting the news right and out, so many folks depend on your sharp analysis....in these rough times you are the light.
- Team Trans Youth Equality Foundation
As with other such horrible laws passed elsewhere, the cruelty is the point. It sounds like this can and should be challenged in courts based on Bostock (2020), which as Erin noted, was a SCOTUS ruling that said that transgender discrimination is a form of sex discrimination
Governor Lee is a moron
The bad news is coming in waves today.
Sorry, Mom. I won't be able to visit you in assisted living. Tennessee has banned my presence.
Hey Erin! This bill is supremely fucked up in a lot of ways, but from what I have been able to find in Tennessee's laws, it does NOT prevent anyone from changing their gender marker.
I expect to see this change, but at present the regulations state that a drivers license *application* must include the applicant's "sex"; the section governing gender marker changes is different and makes no such reference.
Have you seen specifics that say otherwise? Really hopeful you're mistaken, and wanting to make sure that people have the correctest information on this (because obviously if you can have the correct gender marker on your ID without committing a crime, that's... better than nothing?).
It says "evidence of a person's biological sex" includes, but is not limited to, a government-issued identification document that accurately reflects a person's sex listed on the person's original birth certificate
So, what this means if you cannot change the gender marker on your ID.
That's a fair point, although I think a reasonable alternate interpretation is that a driver's license that does not reflect that is still a driver's license and valid, but is NOT acceptable as "evidence of a person's biological sex".
I fucking hate that we're in a position to have to be talking about this in the first place. -_-
so I used local reporting to substantiate this - WBIR concurs: https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/tennessee-state-senate-passes-bill-risk-more-than-1-billion-in-funding/51-17665d11-4778-4626-a961-bb6b3c2444e1
That said, you don't even have to focus on that section. Any part of the law that stipulates that a drivers license will have a sex marker on it will use the updated definition of sex.
Thanks for the clarification. I hate this place.
Thankfully in Virginia here (for now…Youngkin would love to do this stuff if we don’t stay blue in November). But I don’t understand how this works if you move states. Does that mean that even if you leave TN and go to a blue state, they would not give you access to change you birth certificate? Or would that only be true in TN? We had all of our daughter’s documents changed (birth certificate, passport, driver’s license) earlier this year just in case things got worse here.
It’s so incredibly depressing. Every time I look at the news, I feel anxious and sad.
Tennessee doesn't allow people born here to change your gender on your birth certificate, ever, as far as I'm aware.
I'm from Minnesota, which does, but that's why they built the "original birth certificate" language in there.
If someone from TN moved to (for example) Minnesota, they would still not be able to change their birth certificate, but they WOULD be able to get all of their other documentation taken care of.
I'm so sorry that your family is dealing with all of this. It's awful as an adult and I can't imagine what it would feel like if it were my child instead. 🫂🫂🫂
We really protect our kid, and she’s at a very safe school with people who support her. I feel so bad for people in these other states. Praying Virginia stays safe.
That’s so weird, though. How can one state allow you to change your birth certificate and another won’t? Shouldn’t that be standardized?
You'd think, but.. You've got to go back to the history, when the "state" in United States really was meant in much the same way we use it internationally. Each state does its own thing, and "states' rights" is a real sore spot (especially among the neo-Confederates (ie, Republicans).
Each state has to accept and honor any other state's birth certificates, but they each have the power to govern how they do their own.