In the last two months, transgender and queer rights have been under attack by the republican government in Tennessee. After banning gender-affirming care for minors and putting restrictions on drag shows, people in the queer community are both concerned and outraged.
On March 2, 2023, Governor Lee signed a bill that bans gender-affirming medical care for minors, beginning in July. In addition, on March 2, Tennessee announced that they will begin heavily regulating drag performances that take place in public spaces where children may see.
The LGBTQ+ community is devastated after finding out that Tennessee is trying to ban all gender-affirming treatment for people under 18. This includes surgeries, hormones, and even hormone blockers. Hormone blockers allow transgender youth to prevent or postpone any changes that occur in the body during puberty, letting them explore their identity and possibly get on the hormones they want.
According to the National Institutes of Health, 82% of transgender youth have considered ending their lives and 40% have attempted suicide. The leading cause for this affliction among the community is the general stigma around the idea of transitioning.
Gender dysphoria is a term defined by the National Health Service as “a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity.” The treatments being banned in Tennessee are what help transgender people alleviate their dysphoria and make them feel comfortable in their own skin. When you restrict struggling transgender youths’ use of these treatments, like hormones and hormone blockers, you’re making it harder for them to transition in the future.
Many say that the state is out of line and that this ban is unconstitutional, arguing that parents should make medical decisions for their children, not the government. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a mother of a gender-nonconforming child, said in a speech given at the house of Representatives: “My child is free to be who they are. And in that freedom comes a responsibility for us as legislators to protect that freedom to be who they are.”
Though many argue that the state is only enforcing these restrictions to protect kids from making changes to their bodies that they can’t reverse, an overwhelming majority of those saying these things are doing so because of prejudice. For example, political commentator, Michael Knowles, said during the Conservative Political Action Conference, “Transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely, the whole preposterous ideology.”
Another threat the LGBTQ+ community is facing at the moment is the regulation of drag in Tennessee. Drag is a form of performing art that commonly involves exaggerated displays of femininity and sometimes masculinity. Performers, often called either drag queens or drag kings, wear flamboyant makeup and clothes and often pair it with either dancing, singing, or comedy sets.
The art form will be banned from taking place on public property because of the possibility that a child might see. Specifically, the bill states that it will not allow “cabaret” performances to be put on in public near schools, parks, or churches. If violated, the performers may be charged with a misdemeanor or felony. The state says that children should not be exposed to adult entertainment, insinuating that all drag is inherently sexual.
Again, many argue that this is unconstitutional and goes against the first amendment as it infringes on free speech.
Famous drag queen, RuPaul Andre Charles, spoke out against the bill in an Instagram post wherein he states, “Drag queens are the marines of the queer movement.” And this is true. For example, During the stonewall riots of 1969, a famous drag queen who went by Marsha P. Johnson (born Malcolm Michaels Jr.) rose up as one of the leading activists of the queer movement and one of the first drag performers to have a public platform.
When asked how these bills will affect the LGBTQ+ community, Mx. Herold, a teacher here at McClatchy said, “I think this is a threat to the safety of the LGBTQ+ community. One of the things that worries me is fighting within the community.”
In response to what the queer community can do to push back, they said, “A lot of what we can do is protest. I’m afraid that this country will respond with violence. It’s terrible for people in those states because they shouldn’t have to leave their homes, but they’re being driven out.”
The LGBTQ+ community has forever been demonized by the uneducated, the conservatives, the republicans, Christians, etc. But it’s come a step too far with these bills that are being passed that explicitly infringe on their rights, whether it be to health care or to free speech.