Tennessee becomes latest GOP majority state to sign anti-Transgender sports bill

With another transgender sports bill signed in the United States this week, this time by Tennessee governor Bill Lee on Friday, the Republican majority states seem to be on a spree to restrict transgenders to participate in school-level sporting events, according to media reports.

As per the new regulations, students will be required to produce valid proof, which determines their sex when they were born, if their birth certificate has any shortcomings. However, the rule would only be imposed in middle school or higher, reported CNN.

Also Read: Arkansas governor signs anti-transgender sports bill into law

GOP governor Lee wrote on Twitter, “I signed the bill to preserve women’s athletics and ensure fair competition. This legislation responds to damaging federal policies that stand in opposition to the years of progress made under Title IX and I commend members of the General Assembly for their bipartisan work.”

In response to the new law, Human Rights Campaign’s President Alphonso David said, “Governor Lee’s rush to sign this discriminatory anti-transgender bill is unfortunately no surprise given how Tennessee’s elected leaders have aggressively pushed a ‘Slate of Hate’ against LGBTQ people for the last several years”, while criticising the new legislature, reported CNN. 

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Members of the Republican party have been pushing similar legislations, in GOP-dominated states, with Idaho being the first on the list. Earlier this week, Asa Hutchinson, the governor of Arkansas banned transgender women and girls from competing in school sports teams consistent with their gender identity after signing a similar bill.