According to a Monday report, LGBT groups in Tennessee will be helping residents who believe their gender is different from their biological sex obtain new legal names.
The report comes as SB 1440, which defines “sex” as “biological sex” is set to take effect in the state.
“As used in this code, ‘sex’ means a person’s immutable biological sex as determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of birth and evidence of a person’s biological sex,” the bill says. “As used in this subsection… ‘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.”
Some consider the new law to be an affront to the LGBT community.
“Extremist Tennessee Senators are continuing their assault on LGBTQ+ Tennesseans’ ability to live their lives openly and honestly. This is their latest cruel attempt to stigmatize, marginalize and erase the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender Tennesseans,” a spokeswoman for the far-left Human Rights Campaign said of the bill. “Let’s be clear: the goal of this bill is to exclude the LGBTQ+ community from nondiscrimination protections in the state of Tennessee and to perpetuate a false narrative of who transgender people are. The Human Rights Campaign strongly condemns the Senate’s actions today and encourages the Tennessee House to oppose this discriminatory bill.”
In response, LBGT groups including OUT Memphis, inclusion tennessee, Knox Pride Center, in conjunction with the Nashville law firm Bass, Berry, Sims, will help LGBT people in Tennessee change their legal names to match their gender identities.
Bass, Berry, Sims did not immediately return a comment request.
Earlier this month, The Tennessee Star reported that a Christian group is behind inclusion tennessee, which insists on using lowercase letters in its name and promotional material.
The group describes itself by saying:
inclusion tennessee was conceived following a one-year community needs assessment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community throughout middle tennessee in 2019. this community assessment engaged over two-thousand people throughout the mid-state to gain an understanding of what lgbtqia+ people in this region needed in order to thrive.
the community needs assessment that was commissioned by nashville pride, referred to as the community visioning project, clearly identified many unmet needs within our community. these ranged from having access to affirming and fully inclusive healthcare to having safe social environments outside of nightlife. the community visioning project recommendations were released at the end of 2019, sharing five specific solutions that could be created by our then current lgbtqia+ organizations. the charge was placed to the community and the research continued into the new year.
The group is described as “an incubator program of The Center for Contemplative Justice.”
The Center for Contemplative Justice is a Christian organization.
According to its website:
The Center for Contemplative Justice is a non-profit that supports a variety of social justice ministries and contemplative practices. Members on its board regard contemplative inner work as foundational to acts of social justice and community.
The Center for Contemplative Justice provides administrative and financial resources to individuals and groups that create opportunities for social and structural change.
Rev. Becca Stevens, who graduated from Vanderbilt Divinity School, is the chair of the The Center for Contemplative Justice.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Photo “Pride Flags” by Teddy O.
Good for them. Bullies like Governor Lee and his fellow G.O.P.’ (Government Overreach Party) think they have more rights than everybody else does in Tennessee!
Changing one’s name does not change one’s biological sex.
Even if some mentally lopsided fool in a Black Robe feels that it does.
Equal rights for all, already exists.
Special rights for any one group is in violation of the US Constitution.
Try reading that document some time.