I'm just gunna start talking...

A Tennessee bill that will allow therapists and counselors to legally refuse service to LGBT people is now headed to GOP Gov. Bill Haslam. On Monday lawmakers in both chambers agreed to a change in HB 1840 that actually broadens the scope of the bill’s discriminatory nature.

The original bill allowed mental health professionals as well as unlicensed therapists and counselors to use “a sincerely held religious belief” to deny service to anyone. The Times Free Press reported Monday night lawmakers have changed that language to “sincerely held principles,” thus expanding the reasons someone seeking help could legally be refused.

No other state has passed this kind of legislation.

GOP State Senator Jack Johnson has been on national television defending his bill. He blames the American Counseling Association for changing its standards in 2014, barring therapists from refusing service based on sincerely held religious beliefs or sincerely held principles.

As NCRM reported last week after lawmakers in both the House and Senate had passed the bill, the legislation is particularly onerous for LGBT people in Tennessee. Of its 6.5 million residents overall, nearly one-quarter live in rural areas, where access to mental health professionals can be especially limited. While the bill states a therapist must provide a referral if they refuse service, it’s not only possible, but likely, another therapist willing to help an LGBT person could be hours away.

Worse, for young LGBTQ people with limited access to both insurance and transportation, the results literally could be deadly. An LGBTQ child or teen who needs help could be turned away and not be able to get to a therapist willing to treat them if their office is miles away, and their parents are unwilling to help. Many LGBTQ children and teens, already four times more likely to attempt suicide, fear being thrown out of their homes if parents learn they are LGBTQ.

I was in this situation a while back. I did without. Now, I have the cheapest possible Obamacare insurance and my therapist is an hour and a half away. If he turned me away, the next closest qualifying therapist would be considerably further.

I’m an adult and this makes me think twice about coming out to my mental health providers. This will out kids to whoever’s paying their bills and then leave them without care.

They’ll “provide a referral,” if they refuse us, but I don’t believe it and it makes no difference anyway if they’re just going to refer us is to some clinic hours away. This bill is deadly, and is meant to be.

TENNESSEANS & FRIENDS - GET INFORMED AND TAKE ACTION! THE BILL IS GOING TO GOVERNOR HASLAM - CONTACT HIM HERE: https://www.tn.gov/governor/topic/contact

Tennessee Passes Anti-LGBT Counseling Bill

Tennessee Lawmakers Pass ‘Hate Bill 1840’ Allowing Therapists To Refuse LGBT People Service

Tennessee AG Warns State Will Lose Federal Funding Over Discriminatory Bills

If Uber has ever made you feel uncomfortable or if you heard of or personally experienced sexual assault while using Uber, consider Chariot for Women.

Chariot for Women is very similar for women but it is strictly for women (and boys under the age of 13) and all the drivers are women. There are many security features established such as the driver must confirm their identity before every drive and there is a safe word given to the driver and passenger.

Also 2% of each fare is donated to women-focused charities.

The app is being released on April 19. I strongly consider everyone to check it out.

The article: http://www.dose.com/style/28133/Here-s-Why-Women-Everywhere-Will-Delete-Uber-On-April-19

Their Website: http://www.chariotforwomen.com/about-us.html

1) The murder statistics, seriously trans people are being murdered weather you want to believe it or not. Do you know how fucking scary it is to read that someone is targeting people like you, and not only do they hate you because of who you are, but they want to hurt you so badly that you could possibly never be identified because of how messed up they made you during a murder

2) it’s not just the straights guys, the LGB+ community has transphobes in it, and it pisses me off. I complained about something, but said I would probably never get the surgery because it hurts and because I wouldn’t have enough money and he said “this is why people think transboys are whiny babies” I had another guy say “oh the only reason i started talking to you is because i thought you were a boy” and when i responded that i was a trans boy, therefore a boy, he told me that he didn’t want to talk to girls and he blocked me. I’ve seen multiple occasions where lesbians didn’t want to date transwoman because of “the dick issue” and people completely ignore the feelings of trans people

3) dating in general! I was talking to some guy before I was in a relationship, and I told him I was trans not long after we began talking and he gave me a long lecture about how I had been “leading him on” or another thing is that people just don’t accept dating people because they have “the wrong parts”

4) Suicide!!!!!!!!! PEOPLE MAKE LGBT PEOPLE FEEL LIKE SHIT EVEN BY ACCIDENT, BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE SO IGNORANT THAT THEY SAY EVEN WORSE SHIT TO TRANS PEOPLE AND WHEN THEY BECOME SUICIDAL I’VE SEEN PEOPLE SAY THAT THEIR “BODY ISSUES” ARE MADE UP AND THAT THEY SHOULD KILL THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY ARE ATTENTION SEEKERS. THIS HAPPENS TO GAYS TOO YES I GET IT BUT TRANS SUICIDE RATE HAS SKYROCKETED

5) Family. Yes this happens with gay people too, but a lot of trans people get kicked out, abused, or unaccepted.

6) Sexual assult. Look up the statistics some time, but I know people who have gotten sexualy assulted after coming out.

7) SCHOOL. When i go to school i have a group of friends who use my name, and two teachers that i’m thankful for, but that doesn’t stop your dead name being constantly used. Imagine telling someone “hey my name is Bob” and every time people see you they say “oh hey there Brittney” “Hey Joe!” “Hey Kaleb” “Hey Jessica” or another name, and no matter how many times you tell them, they can’t get it right

8) Bathrooms and Lockerrooms. It’s gotten to the point where I wait till i’m home to go to the bathroom anymore. I hate people seeing me go into the girl’s locker room, i hate them seeing me go into the girls bathroom, and honestly it feels wrong. People see you and either go “oh that’s a girl” or “OMG A BOY IS GOING INTO THE GIRL’S BATHROOM” but then if you go to the boy’s bathroom you get “WTF WHY IS A GIRL IN HERE?! GET OUT” or “okay why is that guy not using a urinal?” or something along the lines of that. (unless you’re MTF then it’s the other way around)