Civil rights advocates are challenging a Tennessee law that bars transgender students from playing on the sports team that aligns with their gender.
The ACLU of Tennessee first promised the state, “We will see you in court,” after the bill was signed into law back in March. And, on Thursday, they made good on their promise when the ACLU and Lambda Legal filed a complaint in federal court.
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of a high school freshman in Knoxville who was unable to try out for the boy’s golf team. The 14-year-old says, “I just want to play, like any other kid.”
“I was really looking forward to trying out for the boys’ golf team and, if I made it, training and competing with and learning from other boys and improving my game,” he said in an ACLU press release. “Then, to have the legislature pass a law that singled out me and kids like me to keep us from being part of a team, that crushed me, it hurt very much.”
The bill, SB 228, was signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee, after passing with a host of other anti-transgender legislation that attempted to roll back protections in the state. One law that would’ve required transgender-friendly businesses to put warning signs on their bathroom doors was also challenged and ultimately blocked by an ACLU lawsuit.
WPLN’s Rachel Iacovone contributed to this report.
