NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge has struck down Tennessee’s first-of-its-kind law requiring businesses to post special signs if they allow transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger on Tuesday makes permanent her previous decision from July 2021 that blocked enforcement of the law just days after it took effect.
Businesses sued, arguing the signs would violate their First Amendment rights by compelling them to communicate language they find offensive.
The law threatened a misdemeanor offense, punishable by up to six months in jail and up to a $500 fine.
Officials had conveyed unclear messages about how the measure would be enforced.
