BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — Jaime Combs is no stranger to the fight for equality. The Blount County wife and mother is transgender.
"There was a time when people felt more free to simply live their lives," she said. "They felt like they could just exist and not worry about these issues."
She felt hopeful in 2015 when the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision.
"There was a sense of hope in the community that we'd been getting more rights," she said. "Now, more legislation is being presented that targets this community, and brings harm to this community."
Republican legislators said the laws they're introducing are aimed to protect children. That includes effectively banning public drag shows and restricting the people who can participate in school sports, as well as banning some gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has said he supports many of these measures.
An analysis by the Washington Post found Tennessee has enacted at least 13 laws restricting LGBTQ+ rights since 2015 — more than any other state.
"Currently, there are zero protections for gender in the state of Tennessee," she said. "We may disagree on an issue, but that does not mean that we have to target that person or that community."
She said she's considered leaving her home state of Tennessee because of the negative shift in tone towards the transgender community.
"This is my home. I'm a wife, a mother, a grandmother and this is where my family is," she said. "But, at some point, safety does become a factor."
She said the wave of legislation has placed an unwanted spotlight on the transgender community.
"It fosters a sense of fear and it gives the impression that transgender people are less than, that they are not worthy, that they do not deserve the same dignity and respect that other people get," she said. "Transgenderism is not a mental illness."
She wants her legislators to understand her community is worthy too.
"For young people, the stigma that comes from this legislation makes it almost unbearable for them," she said. "We have a right to ensure that all people are treated with dignity and respect and equality."