A heated debate over bathroom access similar to what we’ve seen in other states already is playing out in Tennessee. Near the end of last week’s post, I stressed the importance of supporting state legislation that would protect the privacy rights of students in public schools: “In Tennessee, Representative Susan Lynn and Senator Mike Bell are two very courageous lawmakers. They are sponsoring legislation [SB2387 and HB2414] that would require students in Tennessee’s public schools to use the restrooms and locker rooms corresponding with their birth sex.” Let’s be clear: Such a policy does not signal hatred for or insensitivity toward individuals in the LGBT community. Still, we will be told that it does.
From a News 2 report dated April 7, we learn that Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has said, “This legislation doesn’t reflect Nashville’s values and doesn’t do anything to improve the quality of life for citizens of our city or state.” The report goes on to say that Barry “warns that if lawmakers don’t see the value in recognizing people’s ‘dignity and privacy,’ she hopes they can at least see the negative economic impact it will have on Nashville and the state as a whole.”
With all due respect, the mayor is using the same playbook we’ve seen used in other places where civic leaders have sought to protect religious liberty or sought to maintain sanity with regard to bathroom laws. Thus, if we believe that the men’s room should be used by biological males and the ladies’ room by biological females, then those who disagree with us will resort to economic blackmail to coerce us and our decision makers into allowing anyone to use the restroom of his or her choice. Do they even care at all about the privacy rights of the vast majority of citizens, including children? Apparently not. Have we come to a place where we must put our children at risk in order to have a robust economy? If so, we must reverse course!
Family Research Council president Tony Perkins recently stated, “Long-term, political leaders who refuse to sacrifice fundamental freedoms under the threats of big business and big entertainment are rewarded with support of voters as their states find such policies lead to stronger economies, stronger communities and stronger families.”
Long-term, political leaders who refuse to sacrifice fundamental freedoms under the threats of big business and big entertainment are rewarded with support of voters as their states find such policies lead to stronger economies, stronger communities and stronger families.
State Representative Susan Lynn has worked relentlessly to protect the privacy rights of students by working to pass HB2414. Representative Lynn understands the urgency of the situation. In her weekly update to her constituents dated April 3, she wrote,
If we don’t act, our school districts who are already making decisions regarding student use of the restroom based on sex will be sued by the ACLU one by one or by parents whose child’s privacy was violated in the restroom due to a student of the opposite sex entering at will. We know from experience that school districts generally do not defend suits from the ACLU—they sign consent decrees.
This is why Tennesseans must contact lawmakers (members of the House and Senate) and Governor Haslam and encourage them to act in the best interest of the state’s young people by passing and signing SB2387 / HB2414 into law.
In this effort, pastors are especially important.
If you’re a pastor, please download this letter. Fill in the missing information and make any other adjustments you’d like to make. Then highlight the text, and copy and paste it into an email. In the subject line type “Pastor Response.” Email it to: info@factn.org. This is the general email account for the Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT), a pro-family, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to influence public policy in Tennessee for the better.
Former Tennessee state senator and FACT President David Fowler said in part of an email dated April 7, 2016,
If you are a pastor or know a pastor, please let them know that we [need to let Tennessee officials know of our support for the bill, and we] must have FAR more pastors sign letters [or send emails] supporting the bill than the number of businesses the Human Rights Campaign [an LGBT advocacy group] can drum up to oppose it. There IS an orchestrated campaign to get business to sign letters opposing the bill. I will collect the [pastors’] letters. They will NOT be made public. I will show the stack…to the Governor or his designee and tell him how many pastors are for the bill and how many people they “represent.” The letters will be destroyed after the Governor has been advised.
I’ve attached a draft letter you can take to your pastor and ask him if he can sign (on personal stationary or church stationary [or email, or church email], either way) and send to me pronto. There’s not much time to lose.
If you choose to send your letter by USPS, do so promptly. Please send it to:
Pastor Response
Family Action Council of Tennessee
1113 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 106-167
Franklin, TN 37064
Together, even against really tough odds, we can protect children in our great state. We can show the world that what North Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor, Dan Forest, recently said about North Carolina is true of Tennessee as well: We “will never put a price tag on the value of our children. They are precious and priceless.”
We “will never put a price tag on the value of our children. They are precious and priceless.”
Let your voice be heard!
Sincerely,
B. Nathaniel Sullivan
www.wordfoundations.com
Copyright © 2016 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All Rights Reserved.
A more detailed version of this post is available here.