A bill which would have forced Tennessee's transgender youth to use restrooms matching the sex assigned to them at birth failed in a House committee yesterday.

Religious conservatives had pushed the legislation, which was sponsored by Rep. Susan Lynn, R-Mt. Juliet, and Mike Bell, R-Riceville. But there was concern that the proposal might create more confusion — local schools already have their own policies on transgender students' bathroom use.

The bill died in a House Education Administration and Planning Committee meeting that was packed by transgender youth who opposed the measure.

It feels great to know that my voice is counting.

--Henry Seaton, Beech High School, Henderson, who tesified last week and then spoke to committee chair before yesterday's meeting

Seaton, who said he has to use a teacher's restroom that is locked half the time, said he thought White listened to him when he spoke with the lawmaker in the legislative cafeteria.

I just don't think it's appropriate nor do I think it's necessary.

--Craig Fithugh, D-Ripley

Rick Womack, R-Rockvale, said he had actually changed his mind about the bill and would no longer support it after hearing more about the issues. He invited Dr. John and Valerie Guenst and their daughter Jennifer to speak.

John Guenst, who is a doctor at Saint Thomas Hospital, said medically it is clear that the mind is what determines the gender, not someone’s genitals.

Jennifer, who was born male but identifies as female, is a 17-year-old Franklin High School student who has been using the female restroom. John Guenst said the bill would be harmful to transgender students, who already have a high rate of suicide. And the family raised questions about whether Jennifer, who looks very much like a girl, should be using a urinal in the boy's room.

I never thought I’d be speaking like this on a bill like this. It’s not broke. Why are we trying to fix something that’s not broke? … Here goes government going in there and saying, ‘Nope, we know how to do it better. You have to do it this way.’ And we’re really going to screw things up.

--Womick

Maybe we're making things a little worse than they already are,

--White

Ya think???

White also said the bill would surely die later because of the potential costs. A revised fiscal note on the bill said the federal government could withhold education money if the bill passed. The fiscal note said Tennessee had received $1 billion in federal education funds last year.

Gov. Bill Haslam had objected to the bill because he was concerned that Tennessee could lose federal funding if it passed.

"Objected" is altering the reality of his sentiments, in my opinion.

House Bill 2412 was sent to "summer study" by the committee.

The powerful voices of transgender students and their families who spoke out against this bill truly increased understanding of what it means to be transgender and moved legislators to recognize that this legislation was extremely harmful.

--Hedy Weinberg, Tennessee ACLU

Rep. Lynn contended that the bill was not discriminatory or harmful.

This bill truly does protect the rights of all students, all students.

--Lynn

Tennessee law, by the way, does not allow people to change the gender on their birth certificates even if they have undergone gender affirmation surgery.

It’s good that the bill will not become law anytime soon. And if the legislature would conduct a real study of the issue, they would find that all our claims are borne out. Trans people are not bothering others in the restroom; in fact, it’s a matter of their own safety, which restroom they go to. So we’d welcome a study.

--Chris Sanders, Tennessee Equality Project

This is great news. What happened in Tennessee today shows yet again: When lawmakers and government officials listen to trans people and their families and find out who they are, they understand how unnecessary this legislation is.

--Mara Keisling, National Center for Transgender Equality

We are relieved to know that our schools will not be at risk of losing federal funding and that Tennessee will not set a precedent as the first state to discriminate against transgender students by requiring them to use restroom and locker rooms that conflict with their gender identity.

Instead of legislating discrimination against transgender students, who already face higher levels of bullying, harassment, violence and discrimination at school, we call on Tennessee’s policymakers to best serve our students and educators by supporting LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination and anti-bullying and harassment laws.

--Justin Sweatman-Weaver, Middle Tennessee GLSEN

"First" status will now be fought for between Kansas, Missouri and North Carolina.