Court Blocks TN Law On Anti-Trans Warning Signs

Via press release from the ACLU:

A federal judge today blocked a new law in Tennessee that required businesses and other entities that allow transgender people to use the public restroom that matches their gender to post a government-prescribed warning sign.

The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of business owners Kye Sayers and Bob Bernstein who object to the stigmatizing message they would be required to display, states that the law violates the First Amendment and asks the court for a preliminary injunction to stop enforcement of the law while the lawsuit proceeds.

“This law is bad for businesses in Tennessee, and most importantly, harmful to transgender people,” said Hedy Weinberg, ACLU of Tennessee executive director.

“We are glad the court saw that this law is likely unconstitutional and hope that the state gives up the wasteful effort to defend discrimination and a violation of the First Amendment.”

GOP Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law earlier in May. The Tennessee chapter of Log Cabin Republicans opposed the bill because it “shames and bullies” private businesses. The bill’s author, Rep. Tim Rudd, first appeared on JMG in 2019 when he sponsored a bill to ban adoptions by same-sex couples. The bill was later spiked after backlash from major Tennessee corporations.