In Tennessee, educators are now mandated to disclose information about transgender students while having the option to discreetly carry firearms in classrooms.

This blog originally appeared at LGBTQ NATION.

Parents are now entitled to be informed if their child is utilizing alternative pronouns at school, yet they lack the right to be informed if their child’s teachers are armed.

Two bills signed into law in Tennessee this past week are significantly altering the responsibilities of teachers in schools.

Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) signed into law a bill mandating schools to disclose information about transgender students to their parents. Despite concerns raised by LGBTQ+ advocates regarding the potential harm of outing, as transgender individuals face a heightened risk of abuse, rejection, and homelessness, the bill passed.

State Representative Mary Littleton (R) asserted that parents maintain the right to subject their transgender children to mistreatment, such as enrolling them in conversion therapy.

“In addition, I believe they could seek therapy for the child to assist them in addressing their issues and navigating their educational journey,” she expressed in her speech on the House floor.

Democrats emphasized the paramount importance of ensuring school safety for children. According to a 2022 survey by the Trevor Project, just 32% of transgender and nonbinary youths reported feeling that their home provided a supportive and gender-affirming environment.

State Representative Justin Pearson (D) stressed the obligation to create safe learning environments in schools. He emphasized the importance of welcoming and supporting children’s identities as part of fulfilling this responsibility.

In Tennessee, Republicans have different priorities regarding school safety. Governor Lee recently signed a bill permitting public school teachers to carry concealed weapons, citing it as a measure to enhance child safety.

During the last vote for the bill in the Tennessee General Assembly, protestors could be heard chanting “Blood on your hands.” Opponents contended that increasing the presence of guns in schools would actually decrease student safety.

Tennessee House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons warned, “This is nothing short of a disastrous tragedy waiting to unfold if we fail to prioritize personal responsibility. The lives of our children hang in the balance.”

Republicans argued that armed teachers could deter school shooters. State Rep. Ryan Williams, the bill’s sponsor, went further, suggesting that shootings occur because assailants are aware that educators are unarmed. He contended that gun-free zones become targets “where individuals know they can exploit others.”

The law, effective immediately, stipulates that the school district, principal, and law enforcement must collectively consent to teachers carrying concealed firearms on school premises. However, parents, students, and fellow educators are not entitled to information regarding which teachers are armed.

During this legislative session, Tennessee enacted several other laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community. These include a measure permitting anti-LGBTQ+ foster parents to oversee LGBTQ+ children under the guise of religious beliefs justifying their homophobia or transphobia. Additionally, another law was passed prohibiting non-parental adults from transporting transgender youth out of state for gender-affirming care, grounded in the unfounded notion that educators and other adults are influencing children to identify as transgender.