Curb Records, Mike Curb Foundation file lawsuit against governor over bathroom bill

by Rod Williams - For more on this story read the report from WSMV Channel 4 at this link.  To read

the lawsuit, follow this link. 

In opposing the law, which requires a business that has a policy that allows people of either biological sex to use the bathroom of their choice to post a notice announcing that fact, the lawsuit says the following: "The required notice serves no legitimate or rational purpose and solves no actual problem. It instead seeks to conscript Tennessee businesses and other institutions to spread the State’s preferred message of fear and intolerance towards transgender people and to falsely portray them as a threat to the safety or privacy of other members of the public ... ."  

I think the plaintiffs are basically correct, except that a business has an easy out in that they can simply have no such policy and avoid posting the notice.  Not posting the notice does not mean the business prohibits such use, it just means the business has established no such policy to permit it. 

The Mike Curb Foundation supports nonprofit organizations and social-service agencies in Nashville, Tennessee; Los Angeles, California; and other Curb-related communities. The Mike Curb Foundation has been a major contributor to Belmont University. The Belmont University Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business was established in 2003 and is one of today's world leaders in music business and entertainment industry education. The Foundation also supported music programs and music business programs at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and at Rhodes College in Memphis. 

As of April 15, 2021, the Mike Curb Foundation suspended consideration of major new Tennessee projects while awaiting final action on pending State of Tennessee legislation, the implementation of which, the foundation asserts, would negatively affect and potentially discriminate against the LGBTQ community and other underserved and marginalized populations.

In California, Mike Curb was a supporter of Ronald Reagan and Regan supported Curb's run for governor in the 80's. 1980, Curb was co-chairman of Ronald Reagan's successful presidential campaign. Curb was also chairman of the convention program in Detroit and was later appointed by Reagan to be chairman of the national finance committee. 

Mike Curb was a staunch opponent of illicit drugs and publicly fought glorification of drug use by musicians and in the 80's dropped several prominent artists from his record label because of their public advocacy of drug use.  While conservative on many issues, Curb has long been supportive of gay rights. For more on Mike Curb and the Curb Foundation, follow this link. 

In my view, the bathroom bill was an unnecessary, misguided, and divisive measure to further the culture wars and solve a problem that did not even exist. While I support legislation prohibiting biological males from competing as women in sports and while I strongly support bills banning the use of puberty blockers in adolescence and the mutilation of children, the bathroom bill is unnecessary and is simply pandering to mean-spirited prejudice. I sort of hope the Curb Foundation and the ACLU prevail in their lawsuits. 

To read more about the bathroom signage bill see these links:

ACLU challenges Tennessee’s new law requiring transgender bathroom signs and my thoughts on the topic.
Nashville DA Glenn Funk won't enforce bill requiring businesses to post signs for transgender bathroom access. He says he refuses to enforce "hate."

Top Stories