Bold Leadership: Tennessee Governor Signs Unprecedented Law to Restrict Drag Shows and Sex Change Surgeries

On Thursday, Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) made history by signing into law the first bill in the country to counteract drag shows. Further bolstering the state’s resume was another piece of legislation that banned sex-change procedures, puberty blockers, and hormone therapies for minors.

As previously reported by the DC Enquirer, SB1 bans children from taking hormone therapies, puberty blockers, or from undergoing surgical procedures, and minors who did receive these treatments while in the state will now have the ability to sue their physicians and parents, as reported by Newsmax.

The legislation will go into effect on March 31, 2024, however, it is likely to face legal challenges as announced by the Tennessee ACLU following its passage.

“All Tennesseans should have access to the health care they need to survive and thrive,” said ACLU lawyer Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, per USA Today. “Gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth is safe, necessary, effective, and often life-saving. Legislators are risking trans young people’s health, well-being, and safety with this dangerous legislation.”

The bill was hailed by supporters as one of the best ways to protect children from experimental procedures that have life-altering consequences with the sponsor of the bill, Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland), saying, “We’re going to protect our children, we’re going to support our children to mature naturally and give them the love and assistance, mental health treatment, that they need.”

As previously reported by the DC Enquirer, SB3 would forbid drag performances from taking place on public property and would make it illegal for them to take place with children in the audience.

A MODEL FOR THE NATION: TENNESSEE PASSES SWEEPING NEW BILL THAT TAKES ACTION AGAINST TRANSGENDER SURGERIES, HORMONES FOR MINORS

“Once again, Tennessee leads the nation,” wrote Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R). “We’re committed to ensuring Tennessee is the safest place to raise your family. This is a huge win for our state, and we’ll continue working to protect our kids.”

“The intent of the legislation is just to simply say that you cannot have sexually explicit entertainment … in a public venue where kids might be present,” Johnson explained per NBC News. “We’re protecting kids and families and parents who want to be able to take their kids to public places.”

“Governor [Bill Lee] just signed into law the 2 bills we’ve fought so hard for,” wrote Robby Starbuck in response to both bills being signed into law by the governor. “Taking kids to drag shows, giving them sex change surgeries, hormones, and puberty blockers are all illegal now.”

“We should not allow permanent, life-altering decisions that hurt children. With the partnership of the General Assembly, this practice should end in Tennessee,” Lee said last fall, per the Daily Wire.

With Gov. Lee’s leadership and activists like Matt Walsh taking bold action to protect Tennessee’s children, the state sets an example for the rest of the nation. Other Republican-led states should follow suit to fight back against these movements that target America’s children.

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