Pro-Trump Tennessee Republican Drafts Bill That Would Ban Teachers From Teaching If They Let Trans Kids Play Sports
Republican state representative Bruce Griffey of Tennessee is taking transphobia to a whole new level.
This past week, Griffey submitted a bill to the Tennessee General Assembly.
It proposes that teachers who allow transgender children of any age to play sports should be fired and the schools they work for should be given harsh sanctions.
Republican lawmaker Bruce Griffey in Tennessee has introduced TN HB 1572, a bill that would prevent trans athletes… https://t.co/GyWoJnsqMc— The Chris Mosier (@The Chris Mosier) 1578115033
The bill's self-stated purpose is supposedly to ensure "that student athletes participate in school-sanctioned sports based on the student's biological sex as indicated by the athlete's original birth certificate issued at birth."
Bruce Griffey of Tennessee, who has yet to get a law passed, made several debunked claims in defense of his latest… https://t.co/ARGX1L4pBM— LGBTQ Nation (@LGBTQ Nation) 1578188101
Since children aren't usually required to proffer their birth certificate whenever they want to play a sport, it's unclear how such a law would be enforced.
However, if a transgendered child is caught playing sports, the bill would leave the teacher who allowed it "ineligible to hold public office or a position as a school administrator for five years."
Teachers who let transgendered children play could also face $10,000 in fines and legal action if the law is passed.
Griffey claims the bill is "not intended to demean, degrade or diminish anyone."
It seems to be having the opposite effect, with LGBTQ+ activists everywhere describing the bill as "cruel" and "draconian."
@ABC Republican Rep. Bruce Griffey is transphobic idiot and his bill has number 1572 according to the year it throws LGBT equality to.— 𝕮𝖆𝖒𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖓 𝕸.𝕳𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗 🌈 (@𝕮𝖆𝖒𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖓 𝕸.𝕳𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗 🌈) 1578416541
Chris Sanders of the Tennessee Equality Project commented to The Hill:
"The bill is an attack on transgender student athletes and the extreme penalties for school administrators and school districts are unprecedented. The provisions about birth certificates will prove unworkable for school districts. This is poorly written, cruel public policy."
@NC5 Don’t we have bigger issues to address first? Traffic? Crime? Affordable housing? School security? Taxes? Overcrowding?— ProudFemaleLeader (@ProudFemaleLeader) 1578030639
Schools who violate the bill would become "ineligible to continue receiving state and local public funds" until they've forced transgender children to compete alongside their birth certificate stated sex.
Sanders also told WRAL news network that:
"[This bill] shows there's something more at work here than your run-of-the-mill, 'We want fair competition.' This is a level of animus at transgender students that is unprecedented."