TEP fights bill they claim victimizes foster children

By Logan Langlois NASHVILLE, TN — SB1738, a bill that has been criticized as a threat to the rights of trans foster children by civil rights groups such as the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), was passed on second consideration and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee in late January. This bill introduced by District 32 Senator Paul Rose (R-Lauderdale, Shelby, Tipton) would prohibit “the Department of Children’s Services from requiring an adoptive or foster parent to support a policy on sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the parent’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.” “Honestly I was mortified,” said Jace Wilder, of the Tennessee Equality Project. “It is one thing to go after the community in general, it is one thing to go after adults. But it is another thing to go after the livelihood of foster children who are already in very sensitive situations that need our protection and need our comfort.”& Wilder said as an Education Manager, he does a lot of teaching about the trans experience and advocacy with individuals, media, and state legislators. What makes him especially vocal about this bill however is his history in health policy and LGBTQ+ research TEP. Wilder said...