Tennessee lawmakers in the state’s house and senate have passed legislation known as the “Riley Gaines Women’s Safety and Protection Act” (HB 0571/SB 0468), which requires transgender inmates to be housed in facilities based on their sex assigned at birth, forcing transgender women into male prisons.
HB 0571/SB 0468 are part of a broader package of anti-transgender legislation passed by the Tennessee General Assembly and sent to Governor Bill Lee’s desk. As of May 5, the bills have yet to be signed, but they are expected to receive Lee’s full approval.
The law will mandate that prisons, schools, and shelters recognize a person’s sex at birth in gendered spaces, meaning trans women would be placed in male prisons. The Tennessee Equality Project warned that this legislation could increase violence within prisons, noting that transgender individuals are significantly more vulnerable to assault and harassment in detention centers.
Defining sex based on reproductive anatomy and birth genetics, the legislation removes the ability of state departments to recognize gender identity in housing placements, as well. The bill has been met with opposition from LGBTQ advocacy groups, who have urged the governor to veto it, although it is not expected that he will do so.
In addition to this, Tennessee already has laws in place that prohibit state funds from being used for gender-affirming care (such as hormone therapy or surgery) in prisons, with exceptions for those already receiving it as of April 2024.
In addition, Tennessee has passed a law that will require Healthcare providers to track individuals of any age receiving gender affirming care. While the state is not tracking all transgender individuals, legislation passed in April 2026 (HB 0754/SB 0676), requires healthcare providers to report detailed data on patients receiving gender-affirming care to the state.
“We’re making lists of folks. We’ve got history lessons … that we’ve all learned about what happens when lists of folks start being made,” said Chaplain Dahron Anneliese Johnson with the Tennessee Equality Project.
Johnson confirmed the hesitancy trans people experience trusting the legislature after a record-breaking number of bills that have rolled back protections over the past few years.
The bill mandates that gender clinics report statistics to the Tennessee Department of Health on gender transition procedures. This includes the patient’s age, sex assigned at birth, county of residence, diagnosis, specific medications (doses and frequencies), and types of surgical procedures.
The Department of Health is required to publish an annual report of this data on their website. While the legislation stipulates that the reports must be “de-identified”—meaning names and social security numbers are not included – critics and advocates argue that the detailed data could still be used to identify specific individuals, especially in smaller counties.
Supporters, including Rep. Jeremy Faison, stated the bill is intended to study trends, monitor “detransition” care, and address “buyer’s remorse” regarding surgeries.
This follows a 2023 action where the Tennessee Attorney General obtained medical records of transgender patients from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The law has been heavily criticized by advocacy groups who view it as state surveillance of a targeted minority, creating a public record of residents seeking specific types of healthcare.
Faison told WPLN News in March that he believes gender-affirming care will eventually “fall out of fashion,” so it’s important to collect as much data as possible. “Collecting data gives us the ability to study trends, outcomes and effectiveness of treatment without knowing who the patient is,” Faison said on the House floor.
Qnotes routinely covers significant LGBTQ+ developments from our direct neighbor states and others in the southeast region. Actions by nearby lawmakers often influence politicians and private citizens in our immediate area. Our goal is always to keep our readership well informed.
