If you don’t know the name of your legislator, you can look it up here: http://www.capitol.tn.gov/legislators/ . Correspondence coming from an actual constituent has more impact, however, feel free to send a note to those outside your district that you would like to thank for their support!

Each card is $10. Please repeat the use this form for each card you wish to purchase and address to a Tennessee state legislator.

From Name (or Anonymous.)

Names of Legislators if known.

We are pleased that the original Senate sponsor, Bo Watson, decided to withdraw the bill in the Senate.

The Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition feels that while this bill is a direct attack on the rights of Tennessee’s transgender community, transgender people would not be the only people harassed under this bill should it become law.  It would affect lots of other gender variant and gender non conforming people who do not necessarily identify as trans.

The bill would also affect families who take their children with them into restrooms in shopping malls, restaurants, theaters, and sporting events.
There are also serious Constitutional questions surrounding this bill, since the Fourth Amendment protects persons “from unreasonable searches and seizures.”
We urge all of you to contact your State Senator and urge them not to sponsor this bad bill.

While there have been many attempts to scare people about transgender people using bathrooms, including a well circulated video previously used in anti-transgender campaigns in Florida and Michigan, the only documented incidents all show the transgender person as the victims, not the perpatrators of the abuse.  The April 2011 beating of Chrissy Lee Polis at a Baltimore McDonald’s led to charges of Hate Crimes in Maryland against the two women who beat Ms. Polis.  In Tennessee, they would probably be hired as supervisors in the new Tennessee Bathroom Security Agency.

If you do not know the name of your State Senator, you can Find Your Legislator by clicking here.  Feel free to tell your story and educate them about the reality of the lives of their transgender constituents.

Ban on Teaching Sexual Diversity Deferred

Another of our top priorities is the Ban on Teaching Sexual Diversity (a.k.a., Don’t Say Trans/Don’t Say Gay).  On Wednesday, SB0049/HB0229, by Dr. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) and Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville), was rolled three weeks until Wednesday, February 8, when the House Education Subcommittee will schedule a full calendar on curriculum related bills.  TheTennessee Transgender Political Coalition has consistently opposed this bill over the years because we believe it is a violation of free speech and is anti-intellectual.  In addition, with renewed attention focused on the issue of bullying, which can lead to suicide, silencing teachers and administrators can be potentially dangerous.  If passed, this legislation might actually cost lives.

Last year, the Senate amended the bill to limit teachers to discussing only “natural human reproduction science.”

We urge you to contact members of the Education Subcommittee and express your opposition to HB0229:

• Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald), Chair & Bill Sponsor
• Joe Carr (R-Lascassas), Vice-Chair
• Harry Brooks (R-Knoxville)
• Kevin Brooks (R-Cleveland)
• John DeBerry (D-Memphis)
• Lois DeBerry (D-Memphis)
• Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville), Bill Co-Sponsor
• Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley)
• Ron Lollar (R-Bartlett)
• Debra Maggart (R-Hendersonville)
• Richard Montgomery (R-Sevierville)
• Jimmy Naifeh (D-Covington)
• Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville)

Racial Profiling Bill

On Wednesday, January 25, the House  Finance Subcommittee will hear HB1380 by Joe Carr (R-Lascassas).  This is an Arizona Copycat bill that would permit law enforcement to request identification from a person without probable cause.  While this bill is targeted at certain ethnic minorities, it can also be used to out and harass transgender persons.  That is why we join other transgender advocacy and civil liberties groups in opposing this bill.  We join by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, and the National Federation of Independent Businesses, among others, in also opposing this bill.

The members of the House  Finance Subcommittee are:

• Michael Harrison (R-Rogersville), Chair & Bill Co-sponsor
• Curtis Johnson (R-Clarksville), Vice Chair
• Kevin Brooks (R-Cleveland), Bill Co-sponsor
• Lois DeBerry (D-Memphis)
• Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley)
• Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma), Bill Co-sponsor
• Gerald McCormick (R-Chattanooga)
• Steve McDaniel (R-Parkers Crossroads)
• Jimmy Naifeh (D-Covington)
• Gary Odom (D-Nashville)
• Dennis Roach (R-Rutledge)
• Charles Sargent (R-Franklin)
• Johnny Shaw (D-Bolivar)
• Harry Tindell (D-Knoxville)

The House Finance Subcommittee meets on Wednesday, January 25, at 11:00 am, CST, in Legislative Plaza, Room 29.

If you do not know the name of your State Senator or Representative, you can Find Your Legislator by clicking here.

Just a little over 48 hours ago, the Bathroom Harassment Act (SB 2282/HB 2279) was filed by two Hamilton County Republicans, Senator Bo Watson of Hixson and Representative Richard Floyd of Chattanooga.

Senator Bo Watson

Representative Richard Floyd

The Bathroom Harassment Act restricts access to public restrooms and public dressing rooms designated by sex to members of that particular sex.  Using the person’s birth certificate, a person would face a Class C Misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $50.

The Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition feels that while this bill is a direct attack on the rights of Tennessee’s transgender community, transgender people would not be the only people harassed under this bill should it become law.  It would affect lots of other gender variant and gender non conforming people who do not necessarily identify as trans.  Furthermore, it would criminalize plumbers and cleaning personnel who operate in restrooms the opposite of their birth gender.
The bill would also affect families who take their children with them into restrooms in shopping malls, restaurants, theaters, and sporting events.  Are we now going to arrest the parents, or children, or both, for violating this new law?

Tennessee also has many people who visit the state to enjoy our many tourist sites, from Dollywood to Graceland, as well as to transfer at Tennessee airports in Memphis and Nashville.  If any of them wish to use a restroom while they are in the state and they do not have their birth certificates with them to prove identity, are we now going to arrest them?

We are also curious to see how Senator Watson and Representative Floyd intend to set up this new Bathroom Identification bureacracy.  Who will be responsible for checking everyone’s birth certificates?  If a person does not carry their birth certificate with them, will they be denied access to a facility?  And how do they intend to pay for this new Big Government agency in the bathroom stalls?  Do they propose raising taxes, or will they seek to cut the budgets of superflous agencies like Department of Education or Department of Health?  Does this mean that doctors, nurses, and teachers are less important than Bathroom stall monitors?

There are also serious Constitutional questions surrounding this bill, since the Fourth Amendment protects persons “from unreasonable searches and seizures.”

While there have been many attempts to scare people about transgender people using bathrooms, including a well circulated video previously used in anti-transgender campaigns in Florida and Michigan, the only documented incidents all show the transgender person as the victims, not the perpatrators of the abuse.  The April 2011 beating of Chrissy Lee Polis at a Baltimore McDonald’s led to charges of Hate Crimes in Maryland against the two women who beat Ms. Polis.  In Tennessee, they would probably be hired as supervisors in the new Tennessee Bathroom Security Agency.

We feel this bill is the latest in a growing string of embarrassing bills in Tennessee.

We urge all of you to contact Senator Watson (615-741-3227 or sen.bo.watson@capitol.tn.gov) and Representative Floyd (615-741-2746 or rep.richard.floyd@capitol.tn.gov) and express your opposition to the Bathroom Harassment Act and ask them to withdraw it immediately.

Ban on Teaching Sexual Diversity

Not surprisingly, one of the other bad bills that we have long opposed, SB0049/HB0229, by Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville), is up next week, Wednesday, January 18, in the House Education Subcommittee.  This bill would ban the teaching of sexual diversity in Tennessee schools.  The Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition has consistently opposed this bill over the years because we believe it is a violation of free speech and is anti-intellectual.  In addition, with renewed attention focused on the issue of bullying, which can lead to suicide, silencing teachers and administrators can be potentially dangerous.  If passed, this legislation might actually cost lives.

Last year, the Senate amended the bill to limit teachers to discussing only “natural human reproduction science.”
We urge you to contact members of the Education Subcommittee and express your opposition to HB0229:

• Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald), Chair
• Joe Carr (R-Lascassas), Vice-Chair
• Harry Brooks (R-Knoxville)
• Kevin Brooks (R-Cleveland)
• John DeBerry (D-Memphis)
• Lois DeBerry (D-Memphis)
• Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville), Bill Sponsor
• Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley)
• Ron Lollar (R-Bartlett)
• Debra Maggart (R-Hendersonville)
• Richard Montgomery (R-Sevierville)
• Jimmy Naifeh (D-Covington)
• Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville)

The House Education Subcommittee meets Wednesday, January 18, at 3:30 pm CST, in Legislative Plaza, Room 29.

Interviewed by host Brent Meredith, Dr. Richmond will discuss the upcoming year, including the new session of the Tennessee General Assembly, and various bills and laws of importance to Tennessee’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

They also discussed Dr. Richmond’s visit to the White House and meeting with President Obama in June 2011.
Out and About Today is broadcast on NewsChannel 5+, which can be found on Nashville Cable Channel 250 or Digital Channel 5.2.  The show airs on Fridays at 10 pm, Saturdays at 9:30, and Sundays at 10 pm, all CDT.

News Channel 5+ is also carried on other local cable systems around the state.  Check your local listings for details.
Out and About Today is also available online at www.outandaboutnewspaper.com.

Tennessee General Assembly Returns

Next week, on Tuesday, January 10, the Second Session of the 107th Tennessee General Assembly returns.  For several years, the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition has worked hard for equal rights for all, and has opposed many bills that would discriminate against LGBT people.  Going into 2012, we already have 60 bills of interest, including the hate crimes and birth certificate bills, and we are looking forward to the introduction, for the first time ever, of a fully inclusive, non discrimination law.  In 2011, four states, Hawai’i, Nevada, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, joined a growing list of states to ban discrimination workplace for all LGBT people.  In addition, California strengthened its existing law.  We feel that it is time for Tennessee to be part of a future that includes equal rights for all.

Of course, there are many members of the General Assembly who prefer to listen to small bands of hateful people, who feel that it is their mission to use government to keep LGBT people oppressed.  To that end, we are also commited to continuing our efforts to oppose any and all legislation that discriminates against, or harms, LGBT people, in areas of public safety, education, the workplace, or the voting booth.

TTPC Winter Meeting

Please join the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition (TTPC) in Nashville next Saturday, January 14, at 1:00 pm CST, for TTPC’s Statewide Winter Meeting.  We will discuss many issues including the status of the Federal Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA), numerous bills in the Tennessee General Assembly, including TTPC’s birth certificate and hate crimes bills, along with numeerous discriminatory bills, as well as updates on various local efforts across the state.

The updates will also include information about the legal case, Howe v. Haslam, in which TTPC is a co-plaintiff to defend the right of local governments to adopt non discrimination legislation.

We will also look ahead at the many elections planned for 2012 as well as electing new officers for 2012.

Contact TTPC for directions.

The past year was a trying one as we fought against efforts to ban local non discrimination ordinances, to ban teachers from discussing diversity, and to suppress voting by requiring new IDs that would effectively disfranchise many people, especially transgender  voters.  Right before Christmas, two representatives from TTPC were in a courtroom in Hamblen County to show support for Andrea Jones who was denied the right to have her true gender on her drivers’ license, and then accused of criminal behavior when she tried to show that she was not a male.

Despite the challenges, we have fought back.  We were part of the coalition to help pass an ordinance in Metro Nashville to ban discrimination by contractors based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  We are also one of several co-plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the State of Tennessee in support of that ordinance and any future similar ordinances.  We are excited to see a fully inclusive non-discrimination bill being introduced in January that will include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.  Of course, our ongoing work to build alliances acorss the state to raise awareness of discrimination and of the need for protection in employment, hate crimes, educational institutions, and in recognition of our family relationships will continue in 2012.

You can be part of this effort by donating today.  Membership in the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition (TTPC) is only $25 per year, and your commitment helps us to fight for your rights.  We urge everyone to become involved.

Together, we can make it possible for all transgender, as well as lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, to enjoy the New Year as we continue the march towards full equality.

Marisa Richmond
President

Fourth Quarter Report 2011

• Continued lobbying Members of Congress and educating the public as part of the United ENDA campaign in support of the Employment Non Discrimination Act and opposing attempts to remove gender identity or expression from employment protections, as well as lobbying in favor of equal rights for all LGBT persons.
• Lobbied members of the Tennessee General Assembly in favor of equal rights for all LGBTpersons.
• Participating as a co-plaintiff in Howe v. Haslam to defend the right of local governments to adopt non discrimination legislation.
• Participated in Slut Walk in Nashville on October 2.
• Spoke at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, on October 4.
• Participated in Occupy Chattanooga on October 6.
• Participated in Better World event organized by the Nashville Peace and Justice Center  on October 8.
• Participated in TransPeople of Color panel sponsored by the Williams Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles on October 14.
• Participated in Mid South Pride in Memphis on October 15.
• Participated in Tennessee Valley Pride in Chattanooga on October 16.
• Hosted a table at the Vanderbilt Drag Show in Nashville on October 19.
• Participated in OUTstanding: A Seminar Exploring LGBTIQ Diversity at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville on October 22. Hosted 7th Annual Dinner in Nashville on October 22.
• Spoke to the Residence Assistants’ group at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on October 27.
• Participated in Nashville Black Pride, October 28 to 30.
• Spoke to OutLAW, the Vanderbilt Law School LGBT student group, on November 10.
• Spoke to a Child and Adolescent Psychology Class at Maryville College in Maryville on November 11.
• Participated in National Center for Transgender Equality Reception with Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, in Washington, on November 15.
• Participated in Transgender Day of Remembrance in Nashville on November 16.
• Spoke to Chattanooga Organized for Actionon November 17.
• Spoke at National Safe Schools Roundtable annual meeting in Nashville on November 18.
• Participated in Nashville Peace and Justice Center office warming party on November 19.
• Participated in Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute in Houston on December 3.
• Spoke to Gay Straight Alliance at Tennessee State University in Nashville on December 7.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker and TTPC President Dr. Marisa Richmond

The Employment Non Discrimination Act did not come up for a vote in Congress, and any transgender person who wishes to serve the country in the military continues to face immediate discharge if they come out of the closet.

At state level, transgender people still face indifference from law enforcement officials, and there is still not a fully inclusive Hate Crimes law in Tennessee, nor do transgender people born in Tennessee have the right to change their birth certificates.

We are also part of a large coalition of advocacy groups opposing the new Voter Suppression Act, which could effectively disfranchise transgender voters across the state.  If you have not already signed our petition, we hope you will do so at http://www.ProtectTheVoteTN.org.

These challenges should remind us all just how much we have to do to ensure that all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are able to enjoy the same rights and privileges of our fellow citizens.

That is why we hope you will share with all of your elected officials and local policy makers the National Transgender Discrimination Survey that was released earlier this year by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

The Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition will continue to fight for the rights of transgender people in Tennessee, and we look forward to engaging all of you in 2012.

Regardless of which holiday you may celebrate, may your season be safe and joyous.

Earlier this year, the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force issued the most comprehensive survey showing pervasive discrimination around the country against transgender people.

Click on the link to download and read the Executive Summary (8 pages) or to download and read the Full Report (228 pages)

The Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition (TTPC) urges everyone to share these links with all of your friends, local policy makers, and elected officials and at the Federal, State, and Local levels, as well as with all of your contacts and friends.  We need to make everyone more aware of the extent of anti-transgender discrimination and the need to end it.

Together, we can make it possible for all transgender, as well as lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with their own families and friends.

Marisa Richmond
President

The Committee is likely to be taking up the Student Non-Discriminination Act and the Safe Schools Improvement Act as amendments.

The Student Non-Discrimination Act establishes sexual orientation and gender identity in schools as protected classes. The bill prohibits school activities receiving federal financial assistance from discriminating against LGBT students. Discrimination also includes harassment of a student.

The Safe Schools Improvement Act would require schools receiving federal funds to adopt codes of conduct that prohibit bullying and harassment, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The legislation would also require states to report data on bullying and harassment to the Department of Education.

The ongoing bullying and harassment of youth, including the recent incident in Monroe County that has received national attention, illustrates why federal action is necessary and appropriate.

Please contact Senator Alexander today at:

Phone: (202) 224-4944
Fax:(202) 228-3398
http://alexander.senate.gov

and urge Senator Alexander to support these amendments in committee and on the floor.

On Saturday, October 15, TTPC will be at Mid-South Pride in Memphis.  This year’s Mid South Pride will take place for the first time in Downtown Memphis in Robert Church Park on Historic Beale Street.

The festival will take place on Saturday, October 15, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm CDT.  Dr. Marisa Richmond, President of TTPC, has been named one of the Grand Marshals along with Lisa Kurts-Crume and Deb Word in receiving this honor.

We hope everyone in Memphis and West Tennessee will come out and join us in this celebration of culture and diversity.

The very next day, on Sunday, October 16, from 1:30 to 7:00 pm EDT, please join us for Tennessee Valley Pride in Miller Plaza in Downtown Chattanooga.
We hope all of you in Southeast Tennessee will join us for this celebration.

TTPC President to Speak at UCLA

Tomorrow, Friday, October 14, TTPC President Dr. Marisa Richmond, will join Lincoln University Business Law Professor Kylar W. Broadus, Dr. Nicole Mason, Executive Director of The Women of Color Policy Network, NYU Wagner School of Public Service, and Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler, Award-winning filmmaker of “Still Black: A Portrait of Black Transmen”, on a panel organized by the Williams Institute called Trans Black Identities in the United States.

Panelists will explore and offer a multi-faceted image of Black Trans Identities. Topics will include black transgender men living in the United States; the different ways Black Trans people negotiate their identity to access important services such as health care and employment; connections and differences within the community; the intersection of race, class and visibility; the politics of how these identities and representations are represented in both the Black and greater LGBTQ community.

For more information, go to http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/lgbts/events/current.html.

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin)

July to September 2011

• Continued lobbying Members of Congress and educating the public as part of the United ENDA campaign in support of the Employment Non Discrimination Act and opposing attempts to remove gender identity or expression from employment protections, as well as lobbying in favor of equal rights for all LGBT persons.
• Signed on as a co-plaintiff in Howe v. Haslam to defend the right of local governments to adopt non discrimination legislation.
• Lobbied members of theTennessee General Assembly in favor of equal rights for all LGBTpersons.
• Spoke at Campus Pride at Vanderbilt University in Nashville on July 21.
• Held Summer Membership Meeting in Nashville on July 23.
• Hosted showing of film Transmen with Transcenders in Chattanooga on August 7.
• Participated in Equality Federation meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, August 10  to 14.
• Spoke at Perpetual Transition in Memphis on August 22.
• Co-sponsored training for School counselors with Oasis Center in Nashville on August 26.
• Hosted Dancing With the Stars Viewing Party in Nashville on September 19.
• Participated in Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta, September 20 to 25.

Upcoming for Fourth Quarter 2011

• Will participate in SlutWalk, organized by ChoiceNashville in Nashville on October 2.
• Will speak at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, on October 4.
• Will participate in Better World event organized by the Nashville Peace and Justice Center  on October 8.
• Will participate in TransPeople of Color panel at the Williams Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles on October 14.
• Will participate in Mid South Pride in Memphis on October 15.
• Will participate in Tennessee Valley Pride in Chattanooga on October 16.
• Will participate in OUTstanding: A Seminar Exploring LGBTIQ Diversity at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville on October 22.
• Will host 7th Annual Dinner in Nashville on October 22.  Purchase tickets at http://ttgpac.com.
• Will participate in Nashville Black Pride, October 28 to 30.
• Will participate in Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremonies across the state.