Tennessee House returns to culture wars with resolution opposing trans women competing in collegiate women’s sports

Representative Johnny Garrett, R- Goodlettsville, urged lawmakers Thursday to signal their support for Riley Gaines (Screenshot)

The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a jointed resolution Thursday to signal lawmakers’ support for Riley Gaines, a former swimmer known for campaigning against the participation of trans women competing in collegiate women’s sports.

According to the resolution put forth by Representative Johnny Garrett, R- Goodlettsville, Gaines recently “made a national and global impact by taking a courageous stand by publicly speaking about her beliefs that only women should be competing in women's sports.” In addition to honoring her work and activism, Garrett urged the NCAA to “reverse their asinine rule about allowing men to compete against women,” amid an ongoing legal challenge spearheaded by Gaines.

“I hope you will join me in this effort so we can protect, support, and encourage [girls in sports],” he said during Thursday’s House Floor Session.

Representative Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, said she was disappointed to see that the culture war issue was the first to be discussed on lawmakers’ first legislative day.

“Are you tired? Are you weary of carrying the culture wars on your backs? I'm so embarrassed that this is the first thing that this body discusses on the floor, and I hope for the constituents and the sake of the state that we can move forward and move forward with substantive legislative work this session.”

Representative Jason Powell, D-Nashville, also questioned why Republicans took up the resolution, adding that he has “yet to see this issue surface” as a father of a daughter who plays sports. He said there are other ways for lawmakers to signal their support for gender equity.

“I hope that all of you that are standing up there and that might vote for this piece of legislation, you can look past the playing field to the employment offices, to the job sites and help women who are continuously in our society underpaid, underappreciated and not given equal playing field. If we adopted the Equal Rights Amendment, some of these issues we could resolve. But that effort that I pushed was rejected,” he noted. “So, I think this is an issue where we're taking some very small circumstances and magnifying.”

Representative Rusty Grills, R-Newbern, shot back against those criticisms by noting that many parents in the state are opposed to allowing trans women to participate in women’s sports.

“I'm just so grateful to be a part of a [group of] men and women that want to stand up for what is right, what God ordained, and I've heard that this culture war will run businesses away from Tennessee. We're continuing to grow like crazy, folks,” he said.

The resolution was adopted with 78 “ayes” and 14 “nays.” It now goes to the Senate for approval.