MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The transgender community is faced with another blow that jeopardizes their safety and constitutional rights. On July 1, Tennessee became the first state to require businesses to post sign warnings if they let transgender people use bathrooms, locker rooms, or changing rooms that align with their gender identity. Anyone who refused to display signs could have faced up to six months in jail for a misdemeanor penalty.
However, the Tennessee law that could risk the lives of transgender people was blocked Friday, July 9, by a federal judge. While the bill is on hold, the trans community and their allies are fighting to make sure that decision is permanent.
Saturday, dozens of people who stand in solidarity with the transgender community gathered in front of the National Civil Rights Museum and marched about a mile to city hall and back chanting trans lives matter. The organizer of the march, Altair Calhoun, whose pronouns are them and they, said the bathroom bill is discriminatory and offensive.
"We've been oppressed in too many ways to count essentially, so I feel like it's a necessity to get out and fight for our rights," Calhoun said.
Calhoun called the law bad for businesses in Tennessee and especially harmful to transgender people. But, political leaders have argued that the law is aimed at privacy protections because it does not stop anyone from using a restroom of their choice. Calhoun disagrees, saying it excludes an entire community from safely using the restroom and only protects people outside of the LBGTQ community.
"If you don't know that much about transgender people, it might sound good at first but the real problem is that it's sort of worded more like a warning label per se than a notice of inclusivity," Them said.
Calhoun said they know it's still an uphill battle for the transfer community to have equal rights.
"It serves to make us seem to be scary or a threat when really we are just trying to do our business in the bathroom the same as anyone else," Calhoun said.
Before the bathroom sign bill took effect July 1, Calhoun said transgender people were already using restrooms they felt comfortable in, but he fears the violence that will be brought on to his community if the bill goes back into effect.
"It's exhausting to have to constantly be under threat under attack, by lawmakers by many people in our society."