The record label behind one of America’s most popular Christian bands, along with several country music artists, is suing Tennessee over the state’s new transgender bathroom signage law.

Mike Curb, former Republican lieutenant governor of California who also owns Curb Records in Nashville, filed a federal lawsuit challenging HB 1182, which requires Tennessee businesses to post signage that says “this facility maintains a policy of allowing the use of restrooms by either biological sex regardless of the designation of the restroom” if the business intends to allow both sexes to use the same bathroom, locker room, dressing rooms, or other typically-single sex areas.

Curb and his record label are listed as the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

Star News Education Foundation Journalism ProjectBut Curb Records currently profits off record deals with numerous artists whose fan bases might side with Tennessee on the issue of transgender bathrooms, including the Christian band Big Daddy Weave.

That band has won numerous awards from America’s most popular Christian music radio station, KLove. Its 2013 hit “Redeemed” has been listed as one of the most popular Christian music songs ever, and topped the Christian music charts for seven weeks straight. Big Daddy Weave is one of America’s most popular Christian bands.

Many Christians and conservatives object to sex-neutral bathrooms on moral grounds.

Curb Records also has record deals with country music stars Tim McGraw, Lee Brice, and Rodney Atkins.

But Curb’s lawsuit essentially describes those who support the transgender bathroom signage law as bigots.

“The required notice serves no legitimate or rational purpose and solves no actual problem,” the suit says. “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.”

The Tennessee Star reached out to Curb Records for comment, but did not receive a response.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), on behalf of two other Tennessee businesses, has also sued the state over the new law.

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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Gender Neutral Bathroom” by Ted Eytan. CC BY-SA 2.0.