GREENBRIER, Tn. – As Tennessee lawmakers go nuclear attacking LGBTQ rights- attempting to mute drag queens and their shows, preventing trans youth from getting supportive transition care, barring LGBTQ school groups, banning books with LGBTQ themes from public libraries and allowing discrimination against same sex couples seeking to adopt a child- Some small but powerful pushback gestures are popping up all around the state, with rainbow stickers on business doors, bumper stickers on cars, and Love Wins posters in yards. 

But perhaps the most visible and daring show of support is from Kroger, the grocery store chain that has more than 115 locations in 56 cities throughout the state. 

At one Kroger store in Greenbrier, a two-stoplight town in rural Robertson County situated about 30 miles north of Nashville on the Kentucky border, Jaxon, who requested that their last name not be used, was seen re-stocking the store’s Pride Merch display.

“This stuff sells quite a bit, but it’s just a little expensive for most people. They look at it and see $18 T-shirts and walk away, but I’ve noticed kids my age buy it anyway,” said the 17-year-old grocery worker.

A store manager, who also asked for anonymity said: “I don’t know if these are out in every store or not, but I know we have plenty of customers who are gay and lesbian. I see them here and I want them to feel happy.” He added, “things are hard enough here for them so this is a little reminder that there is some love for them here.”

“I’m Christian, you know,” he said, looking away briefly “but I know God welcomes everybody.” When asked what he knew about the Tennessee’s legislative actions against trans youth, drag and LGBTQ+ people, he said “I watch the news, usually with my jaw on the floor. They have lost their minds and they don’t represent this state anymore.”

The likelihood of pushback will be difficult for Kroger, but it’s inevitable.

Alice T. lives in nearby Springfield said; “I am not a homophobic person, but I have 3 children who don’t need to see this stuff. I don’t want to explain it to them, either, and I shouldn’t have too,” she said as the Blade interviewed her by a stand in the store’s pharmacy area that displayed Magnum condoms and several lube options.

Another Greenbrier Kroger shopper, Marqus E. expressed a more neutral sentiment, saying he didn’t think the display should be removed. “I ain’t bothered by it. I don’t understand homo life, but they probably don’t understand rednecks either,” he laughed. “We ain’t botherin’ nobody, you know.” 

He compared it to other things the store does to mark occasions. “Hell, I bought a Lily here a couple of weeks ago for Easter.” 

“It’s not holiday,” said Lisa G. as she stood by eavesdropping. “It’s grooming. These people need to be stopped,” she said as she stormed out of the store, kids in tow.

It’s unlikely Kroger would remove the displays, however.

The Cincinnati-based grocery chain has taken a stand against Tennessee’s local LGBTQ+ community previously and learned a painful lesson.

In 2007, Nashville’s LGBT newspaper, Out and About, was told by its distributor that Kroger would no longer allow the paper to be distributed in its 34 local Kroger stores and three of the company’s (now closed) Harris Teeter stores. The move dealt a major blow to the  newspaper’s distribution, impacting advertising revenue and readership.

“I believe there has been a call from some people in the religious community who have said take it out or they’re going to make waves,” Out & About wrote in reporting the story, quoting an executive who negotiated the contract for distribution at the two grocery chains. 

The newspaper was shocked by Kroger’s response. 

Kroger’s Nashville spokeswoman Melissa Eads said at the time. “We have had a long-standing policy in place that prohibits the third party from distributing publications that promote political, religious or other specific agendas. If a publication is offered that does not meet the guidelines mentioned above, we do ask the distributor to remove it. That is what recently happened when this publication was placed on our free rack.”

The publisher of the country’s then largest gay newspaper, New York City’s Gay City News, who happens to be a native Nashvillian, emailed Kroger representatives to dispute the claim that company policy prohibits publications that push a particular point of view on social issues. He cited articles in several newspapers the stores distribute that violated their policy, yet distribution of those publications continue. 

After receiving no response from Kroger, he contacted New York City’s comptroller’s office, which has a policy prohibiting the city from investing in any company that engages in discrimination. 

The comptroller’s office contacted Kroger executives informing them that the New York City’s teacher’s union had a $90,000,000 stake in their company that they may be forced to sell unless distribution of the newspaper was allowed. 

Within days Kroger executives flew out on the company jet from Cincinnati to Nashville to apologize to Out and About’ publisher Jerry Jones and to inform him that the publication was welcome in all Kroger stores.

Back at the Greenbrier Kroger, Laurence W. from Gallatin, said he was in town to help his best friend prepare for a drag show. “This means so much to me. You know, Tennessee is not such a bad place. What’s happening here is old people shit. They can’t stand our entire generation or new comers. But soon they will find out we are the majority, I hope.” 

A 2022 Vanderbilt graduate, he winced a little and clarified: “Well, it will take a while and there’s going to be a lot more shit to come down.”

When asked if he thought the Kroger display was something to be proud of, he said. “It is but I am also surprised by it. It means so much to me that in this storm we have powerful allies.”

NASHVILLE – (NBC Nightly News) Tennessee became the first state to pass a law that will restrict drag performances on public property or anywhere a child could see them. NBC News’ Antonia Hylton spoke with State Senator Jack Johnson, the bill’s sponsor, and Deedee, a drag performer, who calls the legislation “fearmongering.”

Tennessee passes law restricting drag shows in public spaces:

NASHVILLE – Senate Bill 3, which prohibits drag shows labeled as “adult cabaret performances” from taking place within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks or places of worship was signed Thursday into by Republican Governor Bill Lee, effective April 1.

One of the lead sponsors of the measure state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R) told reporters, “The bill specifically protects children from obscene, sexualized entertainment, and any attempt to conflate this serious issue with lighthearted school traditions is dishonest and disrespectful to Tennessee families.”

According to the law first-time violators may be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a $2,500 fine and up to a year in jail. Any subsequent offenses will be classified as a Class E felony, carrying a maximum six-year prison sentence.

On Monday the picture showing the then future governor in drag was published on Twitter and when asked by reporters about the picture; “What a ridiculous, ridiculous question that is,” Lee responded. “Conflating something like that to sexualized entertainment in front of children … which is a very serious subject.”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who is expected to sign into law a ban on drag in public, is facing accusations of hypocrisy this week after a high school yearbook photo that appears to show him dressed in drag https://t.co/cjwlYMsyzG

— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) March 1, 2023

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Taking away the freedom of families of transgender youth to seek critical health care, Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed into law today a ban on all forms of gender-affirming care for transgender people under 18 — putting the government in charge of making vital decisions traditionally reserved to parents in Tennessee. The law takes effect on July 1, 2023.

Under the new law, trans youth already receiving gender-affirming health care as of July 1, 2023 will be forced to lose access to such care after March 31, 2024, in Tennessee. Youth not receiving medical care by July 1, 2023 will be unable to begin receiving care in Tennessee.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Tennessee, and Lambda Legal issued the following response:

“We will not allow this dangerous law to stand. Certain politicians and Gov. Lee have made no secret of their intent to discriminate against youth who are transgender or their willful ignorance about the life-saving health care they seek to ban. Instead, they’ve chosen fearmongering, misrepresentations, intimidation, and extremist politics over the rights of families and the lives of transgender youth in Tennessee. We are dedicated to overturning this unconstitutional law and are confident the state will find itself completely incapable of defending it in court. We want transgender youth to know they are not alone and this fight is not over.”

All three organizations have promised legal action against SB 1, and similar restrictions in Alabama and Arkansas have been enjoined by federal courts. Tennessee is the fourth state in this legislative session to ban gender-affirming care for people under 18, following bans signed into law in Utah, South Dakota, and Mississippi.

Molly Rose Quinn, the Executive Director of Out Memphis said in an emailed statement:

“To the youth of Tennessee and to the parents that support them, I want you to always remember that no matter what happens in life you are amazing, you are beautiful, worthy of joy, happiness, and respect. Do not ever allow anyone to tear you down mentally or physically, always demand respect and don’t accept anything less. The world is cruel but you are stronger, you can overcome anything just don’t ever give up or quit, remember there is always a rainbow after the storm.”

NASHVILLE – Republican lawmakers on Thursday passed House Bill 9 which would ban would drag performances from public property or in a location where they could be viewed by minors.

The legislation classifies “male and female impersonators” as adult cabaret performers and bans “adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors,” as defined under the state’s obscenity law.

HB9 was sponsored by Rep. Chris Todd, (R-Madison County) who led an anti-LGBTQ+ campaign against Jackson Tennessee Pride last October 8. The Pride festival was scheduled the to be held at Conger Park, but after Todd stepped in opposing the venue and in particular the scheduled drag show, organizers shifted it to the Civic Center running a check IDs of those who want to re-enter to ensure drag show attendees were 18 or older.

Todd and his supporters were able to take the Pride organizers and the city into court were an agreement was reached.

In the case of the legislation, Memphis TV Station WJHL 11 reported

House Bill 9 and Senate Bill 3 would ban those performances from public property or in a location where they could be viewed by minors. The bill addresses performances like “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest.”

The bill passed as amended with 74 in favor and 19 against. News Channel 11 reached out to the office of Governor Bill Lee regarding the bill. A spokesperson for Lee said he intended to sign it when it came to his desk.

The bill now returns to the state senate for a procedural concurrence vote before heading to the governor’s desk, possibly as soon as Friday.

LGBTQ advocates and drag performers have said the bill will target vulnerable communities and may have a chilling effect on artistic performances. At least one Republican on the committee also raised questions about the potential impact on other types of entertainment, such as professional wrestling and major performing artists.

Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, argued Thursday the state already has profanity laws on the books.

“If you’re obscene in front of children, that’s illegal, right? If you wear leather pants and you’re obscene in front of children, you’ll get arrested, right?” Johnson said.

NASHVILLE – In a letter sent out Friday to Tennessee State Rep. Jason Zachary and more than 60 of his Republican colleagues, all of whom called on Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Pediatric Transgender Clinic to stop all gender-affirming surgeries, VUMC announced the hospital was pausing those surgeries pending further review.

“We are pausing gender affirmation surgeries on patients under age 18 while we complete this review, which may take several months,” wrote C. Wright Pinson, VUMC’s deputy CEO and chief health system officer.

Last week Zachary and his Republican colleagues sent a letter to addressed to the chair of the hospital’s board of directors calling on Vanderbilt to halt the Clinic’s trans youth healthcare regarding gender affirming treatments.

The letter came a few days after Republican Governor Bill Lee called for an investigation into the clinic at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in a statement after reporting by transphobic and homophobic far-right pundit Matt Walsh on his Daily Wire show.

“The ‘pediatric transgender clinic’ at Vanderbilt University Medical Center raises serious moral, ethical and legal concerns,” Governor Lee said in his statement. “We should not allow permanent, life-altering decisions that hurt children or policies that suppress religious liberties, all for the purpose of financial gain. We have to protect Tennessee children, and this warrants a thorough investigation.”

In line with the earlier attacks on Boston’s Children’s Hospital and Washington D.C.’s Children’s with misinformation and misleading characterizations of the trans youth health care provided by those facilities, in a lengthy thread Twitter the Daily Wire’s Walsh had attacked Vanderbilt’s clinic.

According to The Associated Press, Emails provided to The AP through a public records request show hundreds of Tennesseans reached out to the governor’s office in support of shutting down VUMC’s transgender youth health clinic, with some asking him to call a special legislative session to address the issue. Others asked if he could suspend the licenses of the doctors who work at the clinic.

A few criticized Lee for not taking harsher steps earlier when he signed legislation banning doctors from providing gender-confirming hormone treatment to prepubescent minors.

Only a handful defended the clinic’s services, with some saying the transgender health care they received had been life-saving.

The Tennessee Equality Project notes that the clinic is the only healthcare provider in the state offering clinical care programs for transgender and gender-expansive children and adolescents.

JACKSON, Tn. – After a Facebook post and an anti-LGBTQ+ campaign led by Republican State Rep. Chris Todd, the organisers of Jackson TN Pride, which kicks off today, will clear the indoor Civic Center of attendees and then readmit people for the drag show with proper ID showing that they are 18 years or older.

In his Facebook post Todd warned that if the city’s mayor or other city officials approved (allowed) this event, “then they are clearly ignoring the law.” Todd then cites a state statute that references ‘adult-oriented establishment or adult cabaret’ which he claims applies to the drag performance.

The drag performance was slated to be an event billed as family friendly, open to all, however at 7 p.m. on Saturday the organizers will have to clear out the Civic Center and then check IDs of those who want to re-enter to ensure drag show attendees are 18 or older.

Darin Hollingsworth, a Jackson Pride Committee member, told NBC News Out that organizers were “horribly disappointed,” because they know local LGBTQ youths would have felt supported at the drag performance.

“We’re devastated, because we know that young people in their teens who are queer or questioning or supportive would love to see this, and parents could have brought them,” Hollingsworth said. “But we will be in contempt if we even allow parents to bring in their child, so we won’t.”

Hollingsworth said the pride event had been in the works for a year, and Jackson Pride had advertised it repeatedly. The event began to face backlash after the Sept. 17 Facebook post from Todd.

On September 27, a week after Todd’s post which created a firestorm of criticism from both those opposed to the event and its supporters, a private meeting was held at City Hall to discuss the drag show ABC News affiliate WBBJ 7 reported.

“Starting at 9 o’clock, there was a meeting that the mayor called to bring all the sides together concerning the October the 8th Pride event that is to be held at Conger Park,” said Teresa Luna, an attorney for City of Jackson.

Jackson Mayor Scott Conger, Todd, another Republican state Rep. Ed Jackson, attorneys for the state, members of the Jackson Pride Committee, officials from the local First United Methodist Church were present at the meeting. 

“This is an event that is allowed by federal, state and local law,” Luna added continuing; “We’ve done the research, we can find no federal, state or local law preventing the Pride event from occurring.”

“There were assurances from the Jackson Pride group that it was going to be a G-rated event, that there would be no nudity, nothing that would be of sexual offense to anyone, so I think that misconception was cleared up as well,” said Luna.

The outcome of that meeting in favour of the Pride organisers angered Todd and the others who filed a legal complaint against the city of Jackson in the Chancery Court for Madison County, Tennessee claiming that holding the drag show in the Civic Center would violate state law as pertaining to “adult entertainment.”

NBC Out noted that complaint read: “Plaintiffs who worship at First United Methodist Church will suffer imminent and irreparable injury if this injunction is not granted as an adult cabaret will be featured within 1,000 feet of their house of worship.

“Plaintiffs have a high probability of success on the merits, injury to the Plaintiffs will be substantial, while the injury to the Defendant is minimal as this Complaint does not seek to cancel the Jackson Pride event, but rather prevent the drag show from occurring, and the public interest will be best served by granting this injunction.” 

Before the a scheduled hearing Friday, Stella Yarbrough, the legal director for the ACLU of Tennessee along with Jackson’s City Attorney Lewis Cobb hammered out the compromise that required clearing the Center of anyone under the age of 18 to prevent their attendance at the drag venue.

Yarbrough released a statement noting that the compromise agreement will still allow Jackson Pride “to create a welcoming event that celebrates the diversity and expression of all community members.”

Todd on a Facebook post Friday after the agreement was worked out claimed victory in part reading: “By taking the issue to court, we have succeeded in having the city and the group agree to several restrictions after challenging city leaders to answer questions about why they would allow our children to be exposed to this kind of outrageous adult performance. By agreeing to the restrictions, they have effectively acknowledged that what they were promoting was way out of line. As I have stated before, this is an unlawful event. We had “right” on our side.”

 

NASHVILLE – A group of Republican state lawmakers in Tennessee sent a letter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Pediatric Transgender Clinic demanding gender-affirming surgeries cease.

The letter came a few days after Republican Governor Bill Lee called for an investigation into the clinic at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in a statement after reporting by transphobic far-right pundit Matt Walsh on his Daily Wire show.

“The ‘pediatric transgender clinic’ at Vanderbilt University Medical Center raises serious moral, ethical and legal concerns,” Governor Lee said in his statement. “We should not allow permanent, life-altering decisions that hurt children or policies that suppress religious liberties, all for the purpose of financial gain. We have to protect Tennessee children, and this warrants a thorough investigation.”

State Rep. Jason Zachary and more than 60 of his Republican colleagues sent a letter to addressed to the chair of the hospital’s board of directors calling on Vanderbilt to halt the Clinic’s trans youth healthcare regarding gender affirming treatments.

This is a time in which elected leaders must boldly lead and speak on behalf of the people.
I’ve been joined by my esteemed @tnhousegop colleagues in formally requesting that Vanderbilt Medical halt all gender transition surgeries on minors.
1/ pic.twitter.com/FgiRdLHEM4

— Rep. Jason Zachary (@JasonZacharyTN) September 28, 2022

Zachary also noted the letter also requested that all conscientious and religious objections be honored.

Walsh and the far-right extremist anti-LGBTQ Twitter account Libs of TikTok, run by Brooklyn-based Chaya Raichik have previously grabbed headlines for spreading what Trans advocates and LGBTQ+ activists call anti-LGBTQ hate speech.

Raichik who has been suspended from Facebook and also Twitter for inflammatory lies and propaganda about Trans youth healthcare, pledged to redouble her attacks on hospitals providing trans people with health care, she wrote in a rant on her Substack in which she called gender-affirming care “mutilating the body.” 

Libs of TikTok has reportedly been suspended multiple times on multiple platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Raichik’s last Twitter suspension came for accusing LGBTQ people of “grooming” children, which Twitter confirmed violates its policies against hateful conduct.

In line with the earlier attacks on Boston’s Children’s Hospital and Washington D.C.’s Children’s with misinformation and misleading characterizations of the trans youth health care provided by those facilities, in a lengthy thread Twitter the Daily Wire’s Walsh attacked Vanderbilt’s clinic.

Vanderbilt opened its trans clinic in 2018. During a lecture the same year, Dr. Shayne Taylor explained how she convinced Nashville to get into the gender transition game. She emphasized that it’s a “big money maker,” especially because the surgeries require a lot of “follow ups” Walsh tweeted adding:

Vanderbilt was apparently concerned that not all of its staff would be on board. Dr. Ellen Clayton warned that “conscientious objections” are “problematic.” Anyone who decides not to be involved in transition surgeries due to “religious beliefs” will face “consequences”

In case the objectors hadn’t gotten the memo, Vanderbilt unveiled a program called “Trans Buddies.” The “buddies” are trans activists from the community who attend appointments with trans patients, monitoring the doctors to guard against “unsafe” behavior such as misgendering, Walsh continued.

Vanderbilt makes their Trans Buddies available to children, too. They make lots of “services” available to children, including chemical castration. Though at some point in the last month they removed explicit admission of this fact from their site. Here’s the archived screenshot:

But they must have forgot to delete a video from Vanderbilt Psychiatry’s Youtube channel back in 2020 which admits explicitly that they will give and have given irreversible hormone drugs to children as young as 13, Walsh wrote in the thread.

After they have drugged and sterilized the kids, Vanderbilt — as explained in this video presentation by plastic surgeon Julien Winocour and Physician’s Assistant Shalyn Vanderbloemen — will happily perform double mastectomies on adolescent girls.

So, let’s review. Vanderbilt got into the gender transition game admittedly in large part because it is very financially profitable. They then threatened any staff members who objected, and enlisted a gang of trans activists to act as surveillance in order to force compliance.

They now castrate, sterilize, and mutilate minors as well as adults, while apparently taking steps to hide this activity from the public view. This is what “health care” has become in modern America, Walsh finished.

Vanderbilt responded to Walsh in a statement:

“(VUMC) is now the subject of social media posts and a video that misrepresent facts about the care the Medical Center provides to transgender patients,” said the university. “VUMC began its Transgender Health Clinic because transgender individuals are a high-risk population for mental and physical health issues and have been consistently underserved by the U.S. health system.”

Walsh also shared a video that featured Vanderbilt University law and genomics professor Ellen Clayton, who discouraged physicians from religious objections to transgender surgeries.

“Saying that you’re not going to do something because of your … religious beliefs is not without consequences, and it should not be without consequences,” she said in the undated clip. “I just want to put that out there. If you don’t want to do this kind of work, don’t work at Vanderbilt.”

The University in its statement disputed that assertion by Clayton:

“Our policies allow employees to decline to participate in care they find morally objectionable, and do not permit discrimination against employees who choose to do so. This includes employees whose personal or religious beliefs do not support gender-affirming care for transgender persons,” Vanderbilt wrote.

The Tennessee Equality Project notes that the clinic is the only healthcare provider in the state offering clinical care programs for transgender and gender-expansive children and adolescents.

By Sam Stockard | NASHVILLE – The House chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Government Operations Committee is unilaterally ordering state universities to suspend any policies making LGBTQ students a protected class amid federal litigation.

In a letter to East Tennessee State University President Brian Noland, state Rep. John Ragan notified the university that because a federal court enjoined the U.S. Department of Education from putting the guidance by the Biden Administration in place, colleges and universities in Tennessee could be violating state law if they follow the guidelines.

The Oak Ridge Republican advised East Tennessee State’s president “to immediately revoke and/or remove any publications, policies and website entries for which your institution is responsible that state or imply that LGBTQI+ students are a protected class under Title IX.”

Noland is requested to advise Ragan’s office by Sept. 2 about completing any “required actions.”

ETSU spokeswoman Jess Vodden said Monday the university’s legal team is reviewing the letter and has not responded yet.

Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project, an LGBTQ advocacy group, acknowledged Monday the Biden rule was put on hold temporarily but pointed out Ragan doesn’t have the authority to “micromanage” a university.

“For Rep. Ragan to instruct one of our public universities what to do, that’s not his job. His job is to make state laws,” Sanders said. “It’s not surprise he holds that view. He makes that clear in his lawmaking. We know he’s biased against the LGBT community.”

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery also is leading a group of state attorneys general nationally to turn back the federal guidance, filing suit in East Tennessee federal court. 

U.S. District Court Judge Charles Atchley in East Tennessee reportedly issued an order in late July saying the federal guidance “directly interferes with and threatens Plaintiff States’ ability to continue enforcing their state laws” restricting transgender athletic competition and use of restrooms matching students’ gender identity. 

Sanders speculated that, in getting involved, Slatery could be trying to gain favor among lawmakers and fend off legislation designed to make the attorney general’s position a legislative appointment rather than one for the Tennessee Supreme Court. Slatery is set to step down and will be replaced Thursday by Jonathan Skrmetti.

In his letter, Ragan notes that the federal government “admonished” universities, telling them that LGBTQ students were to receive protection under Title IX of federal law or funding could be withdrawn. The guidance forced universities to rush to adopt new policies, Ragan claims.

Yet because the federal court ruled that the U.S. Department of Education can’t put its guidance into effect, Tennessee’s universities can’t be penalized for ignoring the letter, a situation that remains in place unless a higher court lifts the injunction, Ragan’s letter says.

“As a result, college and university publications, policies and websites have no legal authorization or requirement to state or imply LGBTQI+ is a protected class under Title IX. Consequently, no modifications related to the 23 June 2021 letter from the U.S. Department of Education are appropriate. In fact, based upon the court ruling, such could be interpreted as violating state law,” Ragan’s letter says.

State Rep. Vincent Dixie, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, lambasted Ragan’s letter.

“For Rep. Ragan to instruct one of our public universities what to do, that’s not his job. His job is to make state laws. It’s not surprise he holds that view. He makes that clear in his lawmaking. We know he’s biased against the LGBT community.“– Chris Sanders, Tennessee Equality Project

“I think it’s ridiculous that, for some reason, Rep. Ragan has a personal vendetta against the LGBTQ community,” Dixie said. “… If the federal government says this is what they deserve and this is what the law of the land is, then we have to abide by it. Tennessee is not its own country. We’re a state within the United States.”

Dixie pointed out that even though the federal court put the rule on hold, the case isn’t settled, and issuing a letter to universities is premature.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office declined comment on the matter Monday. But in leading the 20-state federal challenge, its lawsuit claims the Department of Education and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “each flouting procedural requirements in their rush to overreach, issued ‘interpretations’ of federal antidiscrimination law far beyond what the statutory text, regulatory requirements, judicial precedent, and the Constitution permit.”

The state contends a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, the case cited by the Biden Administration to make its order, was a “narrow decision” in that the court determined that firing an employee “simply for being homosexual or transgender” constitutes discrimination “because of sex” under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It claims the federal government misinterpreted the prohibition against discrimination “on the basis of sex” in Title IX to include sexual orientation or gender identity, even though the law “expressly permits sex separation on the basis of biological sex. …”

The filing claims the Department of Education “compounded that erroneous interpretation by issuing further guidance in a ‘Fact Sheet’ that similarly disregards Title IX’s plain text. Among other things, the guidance warns that the Department can launch an investigation if a school prevents a student from joining an athletic team or using the restroom that corresponds to the student’s gender identity, or if a student’s peers decline to use the student’s preferred pronouns.”

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Sam Stockard is a veteran Tennessee reporter and editor, having written for the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, where he served as lead editor when the paper won an award for being the state’s best Sunday newspaper two years in a row. He has led the Capitol Hill bureau for The Daily Memphian. His awards include Best Single Editorial from the Tennessee Press Association.

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The preceding article was originally published by Tennessee Lookout and is republished by with permission.

Now more than ever, tough and fair journalism is important. The Tennessee Lookout is your watchdog, telling the stories of politics and policy that affect the people of the Volunteer State.

KNOXVILLE – A thirty-one-year-old West Knox resident was arrested last week by the Knoxville Police Department, with the help of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and charged with felony vandalism at a local Target store.

Jonathan Burns was arrested after he was identified by investigators as the suspect in spray-painting a section of LGBTQ+ Pride clothing & merchandise.

Knoxville NBC News affiliate WBIR-TV, Channel 10 reported:

On June 13 at 2:49 p.m., Burns entered the Target on Parkside Drive and spray-painted an entire section of merchandise placed out for Pride Month, KPD said. 

Burns damaged $3,884 worth of clothing, according to KPD. They also said he used red spray paint to destroy the entire section of items as well as a sign in the section, and it was the only section that was vandalized. The sign cost an additional $16 in damages. 

An employee had approached Burns and asked him to leave, according to a KPD report.

When Burns left the Target, he dropped the spray paint can on the ground. Fingerprints on the can confirmed Burns’ identity. Evidence of him purchasing the spray paint and a bucket hat from local retail prior to the incident was secured. Video from Target and the retailer where the paint and hat were purchased depicted Burns wearing the same clothing, the report said.

With @knoxsheriff's help, Jonathan Burns, 31, was arrested on a felony vandalism charge last night at his West Knox home after he was identified by investigators as the suspect from this incident. He is accused of spray-painting a section of LGBTQ+ Pride clothing & merchandise. https://t.co/tjc507iSaQ pic.twitter.com/jZaBvGKCU4

— Knoxville Police TN (@Knoxville_PD) June 23, 2022