Bill barring trans people from domestic violence shelters and other facilities aligning with their gender identity passes TN Senate
Chris Salvemini
The bill was introduced by Senator Janice Bowling (R – Tullahoma) and would apply to correctional facilities, domestic violence shelters and others.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Republican bill that could restrict transgender people across Tennessee from accessing domestic violence shelters and other facilities that align with their gender identity passed the state Senate on Thursday.
The bill, SB 0468, would also apply to restrooms, changing rooms and sleeping areas in correctional facilities and juvenile detention facilities. It also restricts students of different genders from sharing sleeping areas during overnight activities or events hosted by public schools.
An amendment adopted Thursday said the bill would generally not apply to employees at correctional facilities or juvenile detention facilities who enter rooms designated for other genders while on the job.
The bill was introduced by Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) and would require domestic violence shelters to designate restrooms, changing rooms and sleeping areas specifically for use by men, women or members of the same family. The bill defines gender generally as a person’s sex assigned at birth, rather than a person’s outward gender identity.
The bill also restricts government facilities from making policies that prohibit distinctions between men and women, “with respect to athletics, correctional facilities, juvenile detention facilities, domestic violence shelters, or other accommodations.”
Originally, the bill included state residential training facilities in those rules. However, the amendment removed state residential facilities from the requirements.
Facilities that allow mixed-gender sleeping areas, or which violate the bill in any other way, could face lawsuits. Transgender people who use facilities consistent with their gender identity could also face lawsuits.
The bill is otherwise named the “Women’s Safety and Protection Act” and said it aims to protect women and girls from sexual assault, harassment and violence. The Tennessee Equality Project, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, said on social media said the bill posed a threat to transgender women who may be forced into facilities that don’t align with their gender identity.
The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law also released a study in 2018 that said there was no link between transgender-inclusive policies and bathroom safety.
The bill passed the Senate 24-4, with five lawmakers not voting. The proposal must still pass the Tennessee House of Representatives. If passed, the bill would go into effect on July 1.
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