• • The "Restroom" Bill
• • Transgender bathroom bill passes Tennessee House panel
• • Transgender restroom bill revived by Tennessee House panel

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Following a sometimes testy debate, House Education Administration and Planning members voted 8-4 and sent the legislation, which had previously been shipped off for summer study, on to the Finance Committee.

It came despite objections from the heads of Alcoa Inc., Dow Chemical, Choice Hotels International and Replacements Ltd. who said in a letter that "discrimination is wrong and we believe it has no place in Tennessee or anywhere in our country."

The companies' top executives also said in their letter to House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, and Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, that floor passage "will make it far more challenging for businesses across the state to recruit and retain" talented workers and also "diminish the state's draw as a destination for tourism, new businesses, and economic activity."

In North Carolina, where a similar bill passed, at least one company has already announced it won't follow through with relocating jobs.

Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has expressed concerns that the legislation, should it become law, could result in Tennessee losing federal education funding, The Associated Press has reported. 

A majority of Republicans on the House panel brushed those concerns, as well as similar ones voiced by the American Civil Liberties Union's Tennessee chapter.

Rep. Susan Lynn, R-Mt. Juliet, the House sponsor, offered and the committee accepted an amendment she said makes her bill different from a Senate-passed version and which is intended to "protect the constitutional rights of all students."

Among other things, Lynn said, it would allow schools to make accomodations for students whose doctors say are intersex children who are born with different chromosome structures or both ovarian and testicular tissue.

That would allow school officials to "make an appropriate accommodation" in some instances for students "displeased" with boys' or girls' restrooms assigned to them, she said.

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The committee vote came despite concerns raised by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam that Tennessee could lose federal education funding if the bill becomes law.

In several states, major businesses and sports organizations - including Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, Walt Disney Co., the NFL and the NCAA - have joined lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists in raising concerns that similar measures could legalize discrimination.

A spokesperson for CMT, the cable station based in Nashville that features country music videos and other TV entertainment, and parent company Viacom issued a statement in opposition to the bills.

"Viacom and CMT have a deep commitment to tolerance, diversity and inclusion, and discriminatory laws like HB2414 and SB2387 are inconsistent with our values," Viacom spokesman TJ Ducklo said. "As proud members of Tennessee's welcoming and vibrant business community, we implore state lawmakers to reject these proposals."

The fear that companies would shun the state became part of the debate before lawmakers passed the measure out of the committee. Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley, noted how companies had threatened to move businesses away in states that passed laws viewed as discriminatory and said lawmakers needed to consider the ramifications of voting for the bill.

"Now we know that we might have some consequences in this great state that we have," Ripley said.

The Human Rights Campaign, the national's largest gay-rights organization, said companies would be taking notice.

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SEATTLE, Washington, February 18, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) - A man twice entered the changing room of a swimming pool and began disrobing, once in front of a young girls' swim team, saying transgender policies gave him the right to do so.

The unidentified man entered Evans pool in Seattle near Green Lake last Monday, February 8, and began taking off his shirt in front of female patrons.

When asked what he was doing, he said, "The law has changed and I have a right to be here."

"Seeing this individual in the locker room, parents of swim team members (girls) and women who had paid for lap swim became alarmed and alerted our front desk staff," said Seattle Parks spokesman David Takami in a statement. "In response, an Evans pool staff member entered the women's locker room and asked the man to leave." They offered both the man and the girls the opportunity to use a family changing room.

He left, only to return during a later youth lap swim, Takami said.

Officials said he had made no attempt to present himself as a woman, nor to identify as transgender when he checked in. By all appearances, he was a man.

But appearances do not matter when it comes to "gender identity." LGBT theorists hold that biological sex is distinct from gender, which is determined solely by the person's mental self-identification.

Takami affirmed, "We have guidelines that allow transgender individuals to use restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity."

"We want everyone to feel comfortable in our facilities," he said.

Some patrons feel the man, who has yet to be identified, exploited the law to peep at women. "Either identify yourself as a transgender or you're not, and you're just taking advantage of a loophole," MaryAnne Sato, who visits the pool several times a week, told USA Today.

A similar incident occurred in Olympia in 2012, when a 45-year-old biological male who calls himself Colleen Francis lounged naked in a women's locker room, in an area frequented by girls as young as six.

 According to the police report an eyewitness stated, "There were girls 6 to 18 years of age and they were not used to seeing individuals in situations like this." But the facility gave him the right to continue using its facilities as he wished.

Those who oppose adding gender identity to non-discrimination ordinances and civil rights legislation have long warned the ordinances would be used specifically for that purpose.