GLSEN Middle Tennessee Applauds House Education Administration and Planning Committee for Halting HB 2414

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 22, 2015) – GLSEN Middle Tennessee thanked members of Tennessee's House Education Administration and Planning Committee who voted unanimously to send HB 2414 to summer study, effectively ending the chances of the bill passing and becoming law this session. The bill would have required transgender students in both K-12 schools and colleges and universities to use the restroom and locker rooms that correspond with their sex assigned at birth instead of their gender identity and would have restricted the ability of schools to work with students to devise solutions that best serve them. GLSEN Middle Tennessee's Co-Chair, Justin Sweatman-Weaver, said:

"GLSEN Middle Tennessee thanks the House Education Administration and Planning Committee for their leadership in not advancing HB 2414, and we call on the Senate Education Committee to do the same tomorrow. We are relieved to know that our schools will not be at risk of losing federal funding and that Tennessee will not set a precedent as the first state to discriminate against transgender students by requiring them to use restroom and locker rooms that conflict with their gender identity.

"Instead of legislating discrimination against transgender students, who already face higher levels of bullying, harassment, violence and discrimination at school, we call on Tennessee's policymakers to best serve our students and educators by supporting LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination and anti-bullying and harassment laws. GLSEN Middle Tennessee is ready to work with policymakers, school administrators, educators and students to help create school climates where all of Tennessee's students can thrive."

The Tennessee State Snapshot of the latest edition of GLSEN's National School Climate Survey found nearly seven in 10 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students regularly heard negative remarks about transgender people from other students and 33 percent regularly heard school staff make negative remarks about someone's gender expression. LGBT students who experienced discrimination and bullying and harassment at school were more than three times as likely to have missed school in the past month as those who did not, had lower GPAs than their peers, and had lower self-esteem and higher levels of depression.

About GLSEN

GLSEN is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for all students. GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community. For information on GLSEN's research, educational resources, public policy advocacy, student organizing programs and educator training initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.