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LGBT Issues In The Spotlight In Tennessee

Published April 19, 2016 at 1:06 PM EDT

As in many Southern states, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee have been debating measures aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Yesterday, a bill that would have required transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding to their birth gender was removed from legislative consideration, after protests from the LGBT community and business leaders who feared economic repercussions.

However, Tennessee lawmakers have already passed legislation that would let faith-based therapists turn away potential clients on religious grounds. LGBT rights groups are urging the state’s Republican governor to block that measure. Chas Sisk from Here & Now contributor WPLN reports.

Reporter

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Desmond Child, right, waits to speak at a press conference of Music Row celebrities opposed to the counseling bill. (Chas Sisk/Nashville Public Radio)
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Desmond Child, right, waits to speak at a press conference of Music Row celebrities opposed to the counseling bill. (Chas Sisk/Nashville Public Radio)
Renee McLaughlin (right) speaks with Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, after delivering a petition to Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell's office. (Chas Sisk/Nashville Public Radio)
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Renee McLaughlin (right) speaks with Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, after delivering a petition to Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell's office. (Chas Sisk/Nashville Public Radio)