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Federal judge strikes down Tennessee law requiring some businesses to post transgender bathroom notices

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Federal judge strikes down Tennessee law requiring some businesses to post transgender bathroom notices


US District Decide Aleta Trauger of the Center District of Tennessee had briefly halted the state from implementing HB 1182 final July after it went into impact earlier that month. However Trauger, in a brand new ruling issued precisely a 12 months after Republican Gov. Invoice Lee signed the invoice into legislation, stated the measure was in clear violation of the US Structure’s First Modification protections.

“It could do a disservice to the First Modification to evaluate the act for something aside from what it’s: a brazen try and single out trans-inclusive institutions and power them to parrot a message that they moderately imagine would sow concern and misunderstanding concerning the very transgender Tennesseans whom these institutions try to offer with some semblance of a secure and welcoming setting,” Trauger wrote in her ruling.

“The act fails the constitutional commonplace that truly applies to it, and the inquiry ought to finish there,” the decide added, referring to the truth that the legislation was examined utilizing the “strict scrutiny” commonplace of judicial evaluation, which requires acts by the federal government to be “narrowly tailor-made” and serve a “compelling authorities curiosity.”

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit final June on behalf of enterprise house owners in Nashville and Chattanooga who enable prospects to make use of their most popular restroom.

The legislation required companies to put up a discover, stating: “THIS FACILITY MAINTAINS A POLICY OF ALLOWING THE USE OF RESTROOMS BY EITHER BIOLOGICAL SEX, REGARDLESS OF THE DESIGNATION ON THE RESTROOM.” LGBTQ activists within the state stated that the requirement would unduly hurt trans folks, who might really feel focused for utilizing the restroom that matches their gender.

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In her determination, Trauger took intention on the state’s argument that the plaintiffs had “imagined” undertones that might be seen in such indicators, saying: “The one factor that’s imaginary on this case, although, is the imagined consensus on problems with intercourse and gender on which the defendants search to rely.”

“Transgender Tennesseans are actual. The companies and institutions that want to welcome them are actual. And the viewpoints that these people and companies maintain are actual, even when they differ from the views of some legislators or authorities officers,” she wrote. “Whereas these authorities officers have appreciable energy, they don’t have any authority to want these opposing viewpoints away.”

CNN has reached out to Lee’s workplace for touch upon the ruling.

The invoice’s sponsor, Republican state Rep. Tim Rudd, stated final 12 months that HB 1182 was designated for the “safety of girls and youngsters in opposition to sexual predators” who enter the restroom of the alternative intercourse, a transphobic argument that has been utilized by anti-trans activists in latest historical past to smear and marginalize members of the neighborhood. He stated the invoice was not particularly geared toward retaining trans Tennesseans out of restrooms that align with their gender.

CNN has additionally reached out to Rudd’s workplace for remark.

Hedy Weinberg, the ACLU of Tennessee’s government director, applauded the decide’s ruling on Tuesday, saying in a press release that “transgender people ought to have the ability to dwell their lives freed from harassment and discrimination.”

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“At present’s determination ensures that the companies who welcome them aren’t pressured to grow to be devices for politicians’ discrimination,” she added.

Protected entry to a restroom is essential for everybody’s day by day functioning however could be an unsafe expertise for trans and nonbinary folks. In a 2013 examine from the Williams Institute, UCLA Regulation’s LGBTQ coverage analysis middle, 70% of trans and nonbinary respondents reported being denied entry, verbally harassed or bodily assaulted in public restrooms. Trans persons are additionally 4 instances extra doubtless than cisgender folks to be violently victimized in on a regular basis life, the Williams Institute reported final 12 months.

Trans activists have scored a variety of latest authorized wins of their combat in opposition to anti-trans state legal guidelines, together with final week, when a federal decide partially blocked an Alabama legislation that restricts gender-affirming remedies for transgender minors.

CNN’s Scottie Andrew contributed to this report.



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Tennessee

Tennessee sports radio caller gets scolded by wife: 'Get off the damn sports radio!'

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Tennessee sports radio caller gets scolded by wife: 'Get off the damn sports radio!'


Sports radio callers can take us all into some weird places. There’s a certain kind of hardcore fan that is willing to take the time to not only cheer their favorite team, but publicly call into a radio station to talk and/or rant about it. But one Tennessee Volunteers fan found out the hard way that not everyone wants to willingly go along for the ride.

Over the years we’ve seen everything from JFK conspiracies to cops pulling over drivers to the army of prank callers Mike Francesa received. But we’ve never seen anything quite like this.

After the Tennessee Volunteers easily dispatched Chattanooga 69-3 in their season opening contest on Saturday, one caller referred to as “Cosmo Chris” called in to the Voluntary Talk postgame show on Fox Sports Nashville was interrupted by an angry woman (presumably a spouse) in the background.

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The interruption begins with a voice in the background saying, “Get off the damn sports radio, it doesn’t matter to your family. It’s a loser situation. My dad needs your help.”

The sound then cuts out as the conversation goes into the background and then we hear, “I’ll take your $2.5 million dollars” and the call abruptly ends.

 

First off, if you have called into a sports radio show frequently enough to have a nickname like “Cosmo Chris,” it probably means that you’re a regular and it wouldn’t hurt to take a couple Saturdays off. And given what we heard of the conversation that was broadcast for all the world to hear, let’s just say that this caller made a very wise decision to hang up and listen.

Especially if there is $2.5 million at stake. Oh, that and the whole healthy family relationship thing.





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Tennessee football fan gets into argument with wife live during Vols postgame radio show

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Tennessee football fan gets into argument with wife live during Vols postgame radio show


No. 15 Tennessee rolled to a convincing 69-3 victory over Chattanooga in the Vols’ first game of the 2024 college football season on Saturday.

There was little to critique in the victory as Josh Heupel’s squad demolished an overmatched Mocs team. Starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava was brilliantly efficient in the start, completing 22 of 28 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Dylan Sampson rushed 12 times for 124 yards and three more scores.

The defense was also impressive, limiting Chattanooga to just 227 offensive yards and a paltry three points.

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REQUIRED READING: College football schedule today: Games, scores for Saturday’s Week 1 top 25 teams

However, at least one Tennessee fan had something to gripe about after the game. And it had nothing to do with what occurred on the field. As noted by Russell Smith — one of the hosts for “The Voluntary Reaction” postgame show on Fox Sports Knoxville — a Tennessee fan got into a verbal argument with his wife after calling into the radio show.

It led to an awkward moment live on the air as listeners everywhere heard the argument.

“Get off the damn sports radio, it doesn’t matter to your family,” a woman can be heard saying in the background. “It’s a loser situation. My dad needs your help.”

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After a short pause, the woman can then be heard saying, “I’m so done with you. I know you don’t care. … I’ll take your two-and-a-half million dollars.”

At that point, the audio cuts out, with no obvious outcome in the verbal argument.

Whether the Tennessee fan will call into the show again remains to be seen.



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Cleveland Browns Acquire 3-Time All-Pro Receiver In Bold Trade Idea

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Cleveland Browns Acquire 3-Time All-Pro Receiver In Bold Trade Idea


The Cleveland Browns were reportedly in the hunt for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk earlier this month, but Aiyuk apparently had no interest in going to the Browns and ultimately ended up signing an extension with the 49ers.

But perhaps the Browns are not done examining options at wide out.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox has suggested that Cleveland pursue a trade for Tennessee Titans star DeAndre Hopkins, noting all of the cap space the Browns opened by restructuring Deshaun Watson’s contract.

Of course, Watson and Hopkins were a dynamic duo during their days with the Houston Texans, so perhaps reuniting Watson with his former teammate could help bring the quarterback out of his shell in Cleveland.

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Unlike in the proposed Aiyuk deal where the Browns would have had to part ways with Amari Cooper, Knox is surmising that Cleveland would end up keeping Cooper in any potential trade for Hopkins.

If the Browns were able to land Hopkins, they would suddenly boast an impressive receiving trio of Cooper, Hopkins and Jerry Jeudy, providing Watson will all of the weapons he needs to rediscover his previous form.

Hopkins may not be the same elite pass-catcher he was during his Texans days, but he is coming off of an impressive 2023 campaign in which he hauled in 75 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. He managed to achieve that with rather subpar quarterback play in Tennessee.

The 32-year-old has made five Pro Bowl appearances while also earning three First-Team All-Pro selections throughout his NFL career, which began with Houston in 2013. He also spent three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before joining the Titans last year.



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