Transgender Tennessee woman sues over state’s refusal to change the sex designation on her license

By TRAVIS LOLLER
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A transgender Tennessee woman has sued the state’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security after officials refused to change the sex on her driver’s license to match her gender identity. The lawsuit filed in state court under the pseudonym Jane Doe on Tuesday says the department acted illegally by updating its policies last year without following the Tennessee Uniform Administrative Procedures Act. That requires public notice and public comment before an administrative rule is adopted. The department previously permitted a change to the sex designator on a Tennessee driver’s license with certain documentation. The lawsuit claims the new policy violates Doe’s constitutional rights to privacy, free speech, equal protection and due process.