opinion

Opinion | I am a transgender Tennessean, and I am concerned that I am unwelcome at home

One of the first things that I would tell people when I got to college is that I’m from Tennessee, and all the aspects of Tennessean culture I adore and cherish.

The sense of community, the southern hospitality and the food of my home state have been the subjects of important papers, projects and discussions that have been the backbone of my first year away from home in college. I consider being a Tennessee native an important and valuable part of my identity.

Yet, even with the immense love I have for the Volunteer State, my experience there and my plans for a future in my home state are plagued by the struggles I have faced because of who I am –struggles that no one would wish to put on any young person.

While in high school in Sumner County, I was barred from using the boys’ restroom — even though I am a boy; rather, I was forced to use the nurse’s because I am a transgender person.

The use of this bathroom inhibited my ability to learn greatly: the nurse’s bathroom was often inaccessible, out of the way and isolating. Being told that my body was shameful and that I could expect harm to come my way because of it took a toll on me and my academic ambitions. It was the polar opposite of the southern charm and loving kindness of Tennessee that I appreciate so dearly.

► Read More: Transgender bathroom debate overlooks real dangers

When it came time to apply for colleges and universities, I was worried about cost and accessibility, and resolved to utilize the Tennessee Promise, a program that allows for Tennessee students to attend an expansive list of institutions cost-free for two years.

But, one hesitation prevented me from doing this: at the time, the Tennessee General Assembly was discussing a “bathroom bill” – a bill looking to prevent transgender students in public schools and universities within the state from using the public facilities that correspond with their gender identity.

As a result, if I had used the Tennessee Promise with this bill in discussion, I could not guarantee my right to use the restroom or locker room on campus. This left me with two options: compromise my gender and the core of who I am, or take on significantly more debt and leave my home state.

I decided to attend the University of Denver in Colorado to be in a space where I could ensure my safety and well-being. Even though I love my school and feel pride in the education I receive, I miss Tennessee and all the things and people that make it home.

► Read More: It pays for Nashville to be a welcoming community

Having moved out to Colorado, where I no longer have to stress about where to go to the bathroom (spoiler alert: I go in the men’s room and nothing happens), I am relieved and thriving in school. But I still want to return home someday to the place that I love.

With legislation like House Bill 2620/Senate Bill 2480 — a bill empowering school districts that maintain bathrooms based on birth gender — progressing in our state and receiving support, though, I can’t come home and soon, I don’t even think I will be able to call Tennessee home.

When Tennessee, a state full of loving people, condones actions to restrict vulnerable students’ access to education, we show prospective Tennessee students and residents from across the nation that we will not support them or honor them.

We lose talent that can contribute to the state, we lose friends and family members who no longer feel safe or valued, and we lose respect from people all over, including those within our state.

Discrimination hurts, but forcing the state to defend discrimination by passing HB 2620/SB 2480 goes directly against what I, and many other native Tennesseans, know Tennessee to be: a place of love, kindness and hospitality.

Henry Seaton is a Tennessee native and a student at the University of Denver.