Dear [Your Elected Official],

<p>SB936/HB1271 is up for consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and in the House Civil Justice Subcommittee on Wednesday. I urge you to vote NO on the bill.</p> <p>Why does a declaration of two sexes belong in the law? If it is so self-evident to the sponsors, then what does the law add to bolstering the idea? When we put matters like this into law, where they don't belong, it usually leads to some group losing rights. The government should not have a monopoly in determining people's identities. </p> <p>This bill is redundant. The Legislature passed a similar law in 2023. What does this law add? The text was short on specifics.</p> <p>The law supports inaccurate concepts of sex and gender, which are far more complicated than the text of a short bill would lead people to believe. Biology presents a far more nuanced understanding of sex and gender than the bill allows. Our country's history refutes the bill's understanding if we remember that settlers encountered Native Americans with a view of gender broader than just two sexes.</p> <p>The stories of people all around us also challenge the premise of the bill. Many people today are nonbinary and use they/them pronouns. Regardless of whether the sponsors are supportive, this is who many people today are telling us they are.  A PRRI report in January 2024 noted that almost 28% of Generation Z identifies as LGBTQ and a rising percentage are nonbinary.  No one benefits from a law telling people that they are wrong about themselves.</p> <p>There is no stable foundation for this bill and no demonstrated need. There is only potential to harm our fellow Tennesseans. Thank you for considering my views.</p> <p> </p>