state Tennessee: Latest News

, issued a  in response to two Tennessee bills that target the LGBTQ+ community: “Drag is not a crime. Gender-affirming health care for all, including our youth, is a necessity,” Williams weighed in, as state legislatures across the country consider bans and restrictions on both., on February 23, Tennessee lawmakers sent two bills to Governor Bill Lee’s desk to be signed into law: one written to target drag performances in public spaces—the first drag ban in the nation to pass a state legislature, Migdon noted—and another to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth.

The drag ban would punish drag performers within 1,000 feet of a public park, school, or church with up to a felony offense.In a Story posted the evening after the hearings, Williams wrote, “Once again our state has passed two regressive and unfathomably harmful bills. We stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ family and local LGBTQIA+ orgs in this fight, not only for inclusion for our friends & family in the queer community, but for radical acceptance and empowerment for each of them.” The post concluded with the hashtags #ProtectTransKids and #DragIsNotACrime. Williams also reposted efforts from state LGBTQ+ organizations, such as and , to call upon Gov.

Lee to reject the bills. The messages were reposted to Paramore’s account. These bills have garnered criticism from  and , as well  .

“[The drag ban] could easily ban pride. It bans public drag.

It bans transgender people performing, who are just living their lives. It charges them with a felony! It is blatantly unconstitutional,” wrote .Earlier this week,  by the Movement Advancement Project that described the current legislative assault on LGBTQ+ rights as a “war against LGBTQ people in America and their

Williams